#except she didn’t get why he refused to contact his family

[hearts401]

Tssiu Michael and Charlie are either best friends or have the most intricate beef over the past like 10 years. Even after he broke up with Jeremy he still kept contact with Charlie for like a year or so before cutting her off too. Enemies who are besties on their lunch break. She misses him tho.

[daycourtofficial]

Ferocious beasts with soft bellies

Pairing: Eris x Rhys’s sister!reader | WC: 2.5k | warnings: mentions of pregnancy, some violence from dogs

Summary: Eris’s hounds know you’re pregnant before either of you do, driving the two of you wild with their newfound devotion to you.

Author’s note: hi everyone!!! Thanks for joining me this week, I hope you had a great time!! This one ends on a note I didn’t expect it to, but I do have plans to write follow-ups I kinda wanted to break this up into two. Also this is part of my gingerfucker series, but can be read as a standalone okay love ya bye 😘

Eris’s hounds were incredibly well-trained. He spent thousands of hours when they were pups instilling in them commands, tracking and hunting skills, and alerting him to intruders on the property.

At least, they used to be well-trained.

These days Clover, the leader of the pack, would not allow you out of her sight. All twelve hounds wandered through your house as they pleased, often keeping you company in Eris’s absence. They would lounge about, finding warm sunny spots throughout the house to take afternoon naps in. You’d usually have one or two lazily trail you around the house, staying in the beds you had placed in several of the rooms.

Lately their attachment and sudden devotion to you was getting out of hand. Clover was practically sewn into your side the way she followed you around - she hardly let you out of her sight, keeping an eye on you at all times, following you as you moved through the house. She was even beginning to ignore Eris’s commands, opting to stay at your feet, following you around the house, or with her head curled on your lap.

When you and Eris publicly began your mateship, you had begged him to allow the dogs into your shared bed. “Just one,” you had pouted, “I don’t like waking alone.”

Despite his grumbling, Eris had obliged your request. Things with your family were still quite rough - it had been almost a year by now since you left the Night Court, being unceremoniously abdicated from the throne. You had been in contact with most of your family by this point except for Rhysand, who was still refusing to speak with you since he forced you out of ‘his court’, as he had called it.

Despite your best efforts, Eris still felt guilty over it, the rift in your family caused by the discovery of your mateship. You usually tried to soothe him, not wanting him to feel guilt over the decisions you made. You would choose him over and over again, and problems with Rhysand or any member of your family were not going to stop that from continuing. Besides, his guilt would be better suited as ire towards Rhysand.

Sometimes you did use his guilt to get what you want.

Which is why it initially did take Clover much coaxing to jump into the bed at all, a notion she thought ridiculous at first, but once her paws melted into the mattress, she was quick to lay directly on your side of the bed, placing her head atop your pillow.

“Traitor,” Eris had muttered as you cuddled up to her, petting her soft head.

After getting her into the bed, Clover spent most nights curled up at your feet or by your side, your nights often spent squished between her long body and Eris’s. Soon enough, you were back to asking Eris for another one to sleep in your bed.

“So Clover doesn’t get lonely.”

He spent ages debating with you that no, she doesn’t need a companion in bed with her. It was ridiculous. The three of you were enough for one bed, and he hated to think of how a second hound would complicate things.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he did quite enjoy it when he’d throw an arm around you in the middle of the night and his fingers would meet Clover’s soft fur from the other side of you.

It also soothed some minor worry in him to have you protected from all sides, despite your being more than capable of defending yourself. The mating bond was a precious gift, but it was also a minor curse with the way it coursed through his veins, needing to protect you, to keep you safe, and to keep you both satiated.

“Er, our bed’s plenty big enough for more hounds.”

“Yes, but they’ll get too spoiled. You’ve already turned Clover rotten.”

“I have done no such thing,” you cross your arms, trying to look utterly appalled at his accusation. He gives you a pointed look, then turns his gaze behind you.

Your gaze turned to the hound seated behind you, her long limbs spread across your bed, her little leg kicks and soft snores bringing a small chuckle to your lips that you quickly turned into a scoff.

“That proves nothing.”

In the several months since allowing Clover and Cinnamon in your bed, they were still obedient. They left the bed without disturbing you in the mornings, they rotated who laid next to you and who slept at the foot of the bed, and they would never go to bed without either you or Eris prompting them to.

That all stopped a few weeks ago.

Eris’s hounds had always been fond of you - Eris had spoken of them for centuries before you were able to see any of them. The way he had spoken of them had helped you see he was capable of caring about something that wasn’t himself.

That was its own revelation.

Meeting the hounds was quite nerve-wracking for you - he told you they were quite cold to new fae, and they had detested Lucien’s overeagerness to befriend them - a grudge they still held many centuries later.

“I believe they smelled the desperation leaking from his pores, tainted their perception of him,” he quipped.

Despite Eris’ warnings, you were not prepared for them to warm up to you as much as they had. He brought out his most trusted hound, Clover, to meet you, and you’re not sure if it was the way Eris’ scent was forever entwined with your own, but she warmed to you immediately. She circled your legs before sitting directly next to you, placing her head beneath your hand.

“What does this mean?” you whisper to Eris, not wanting to scare her or set her off.

“She wants you to pet her.”

Your confused expression makes his eyes dance with amusement.

“Surely you understand that means to stroke her head.” He raises his hand in demonstration, petting the air with a bemused look on his face.

You huff, “she could bite me, I apologize for wanting to wait a moment before touching a creature you’ve told me is dangerous.”

“She is dangerous, but surely she’s capable of being more than one thing.”

Nowadays she was capable of such a feat - she was not only beloved by you, but she was also a constant thorn in your side.

It started with subtle things, conversations with Eris where you tried to express how odd they were behaving one night while you sat in Eris’ study, helping him sort through correspondence from his brothers about the lands they oversee.

“Clover followed me into the bathroom.”

“Perhaps I should put some cushions for her to lay down while you bathe. I’m fond of the sight, perhaps she is too.”

You roll your eyes, “I’m serious, Er. She’s behaving strangely.”

Eris set the letter from Moros down, his attention fixed on you. “You spoil her, she is merely being affectionate. You’ll get used to it.”

Eris was wrong, Clover’s behavior only getting worse as the days went on.

“Clover, stay.”

Clover’s brown eyes observed you, your finger pointing toward the floor indicating for her to stay, tone full of finality - a princess’s tone, a high lady’s tone. You were determined to get the hound to listen to you, commanding her to stay in your chambers.

You passed through the door, heading down to speak with one of your advisor’s who insisted he speak with you as soon as possible. You rolled your eyes just thinking about his current issue with one of the trade routes that flows into Spring and how last time he wanted to speak to you, you enjoyed watching the vein on his forehead throb at your reluctance to take his ill advice.

Perhaps during this meeting the vein will pop, at least then the meeting would come with entertainment.

You look down and are startled when you see Clover’s body in step with yours, her fur shimmering in the light as if she were smoke rising from the ground.

Cauldron boil me, Eris is going to kill me if I’ve ruined all of their training.

You stop, pointing in the opposite direction, whispering, “go, shoo Clover.” You don’t even want to consider how she got through the closed door.

Clover just sits in front of you, her gaze piercing, seeing something you can’t. You blow out a breath, hands running through your hair, “okay, you may come with me.”

You’d regret those words.

Clover strode into the room before you, sniffing the air as her nails clacked across the floor. Her focus shifted to the male in the room, Flint’s eyes narrowing at her. She moved her body closer to the floor as she stalked towards him, the hair along her spine raising into the shape of a fin. Her ears were pulled back, a low rumble emitting from her chest.

“Clover!”

Your voice is chastising, but Clover does not let her guard down as she slowly approaches Flint. His eyes are full of fear as she approaches, her feet circling him. He spins in a circle, not letting her eyes leave his.

“Clover!”

You whistle her stop command, but she ignores it. She circled Flint the way she circles mice and rabbits.

She always loved playing with her food.

“What is this? Control your hound.” Flint’s voice is annoyed as Clover raises her head, baring her teeth at him.

“I’m trying.”

You move forward, reaching to grab Clover’s neck, instead missing and falling forward towards Flint. His arms catch your forearms, but Clover was not a fan of his touch and her teeth swiftly sank into the leg of his trousers. Her grip was strong as she tugged at his pants, and he began stammering, shaking his leg trying to rid his pants of her. He backed away toward the door, and once he reached the threshold, Clover let go of her grip, almost causing the male to fall over.

Her growls echoed down the hall as she watched him run down the hall before scampering back towards you, confusion and shock on your face at all that just transpired.

The hound just licked your face gently before laying next to you, her head in your lap.

You sighed, certain that Eris would kill you for ruining Clover.

Later that night, Eris made hisbway to your shared chambers, a bit surprised to find you already asleep. The hour wasn’t too late, however he had caught you dozing while reading over some requests regarding equipment for some farms.

He stripped his clothes, the finery being replaced by some loose trousers before moving towards the bed to find that the hounds had placed themselves on either side of you, Cinnamon occupying his spot on the bed.

“Cinnamon, down.”

The brown hound does not listen to the command, the only response a long sigh of her breath. He stared at the hound - a seventy year old beast who was one of the easiest hounds he’d ever trained, knowing how he expected her to behave from an incredibly young age.

Cinnamon was no Clover, but she was second in their chain of command. Clover was on your other side, soft snores coming from her snout.

There was plenty of room in the bed for the two of you, the two hounds, and, truthfully, several more hounds. Your preference for larger beds from when you had your wings never left after you lost them.

Eris laid in the bed, determined he could outmaneuver his hounds. He moved a hand out to your face, stroking your hair before a soft growl cut him off.

His hand stilled, eyes wide at such a response from Cinnamon. His nostrils begin flaring, heat rising to the surface of his skin in anger. He could feel the roar of the bond in his ears, frustration boiling within him at the defiance and aggression at him touching his own mate.

He tried to swallow it down, refusing to erupt in his own bed while you slept peacefully next to him. His fuse was a short one, his temper always loosely held back by a quick tongue that allowed him to loosen the reins ever so slightly.

He watched them, their bodies curled around your own and thought about your complaints of them following you around, believing it to be a consequence of your softness towards them.

You were spoiling them rotten. You were a few weeks away from giving them table scraps, for Mother’s sake. But then his thoughts veered into Flint’s description of what occurred, Clover guarding you from Flint’s touch like a mother hen-

His heart stalls in his chest, a heavy realization settling over him as he sits up, Sierra growling softly at his abrupt movements.

You were pregnant. You had to be - it was the only logical conclusion other than all twelve of his hounds losing their minds simultaneously. They must be able to scent it on you before fae senses could pick them up.

He wonders briefly if Lucien’s magical eye could see it.

Eris lay frozen on the bed, his thoughts swirling with what to do, how he was going to handle this. He was still quite new to his tenure as high lord - the work wasn’t unexpected by any means, however his position was still quite vulnerable - new power always attracted violence attempting to see how far that power extended.

Things were still difficult in your personal lives - he and Lucien were on tenuous speaking terms, you and Rhysand were not on speaking terms. The two of you hadn’t spoken in almost a year.

It was all so damn complicated - you hadn’t had a coronation as high lady yet, wanting to wait until Rhysand would show up to have the ceremony. The logistics of a babe at such a crucial turning point politically could open Eris up to glaring vulnerabilities.

Long fingers tap at his chest, trying to keep himself somewhat grounded in reality. He had no confirmation for this - his reasoning behind such a theory were founded on the strange behavior of his hounds. He was being a ridiculous fool to get so worked up over unconfirmed theories.

Yet the image of a swaddled little thing kept gnawing at his mind - tiny toes, a tiny nose, tiny fingers wrapping around his. He had adored his brothers when they were much younger, when the world under Beron could be disguised as a good place. Perhaps he could do it.

Eris laid awake for several hours, your soft breathing calming him as he sat and thought about all the possible ways he could ruin all of this.

A tiny part of him let himself hope that, in spite of it all, he wouldn’t.

Permanent taglist: @vanilla-seabass @cyrygher @lees-chaotic-brain @topaz125 @chessebookgirl @fides25 @lady-of-tearshed @ashbatz @fxckmiup @lilah-asteria @justvibbinghere @daughterofthemoons-stuff @mybestfriendmademe @heartless-tate @tsunami-of-tears @idrkwhatthisisimsorry @olive-main @azrielsmate3 @pit-and-the-pen @durgenyx

Eris taglist: @secret-third-thing

Thanks for reading 💕

[mystic-writings]

emergency contact | jack hodgins

pairing — jack hodgins x fem!booth!reader

summary — hodgins hasn’t heard from you in over six months, after you broke up with him and disappeared. until he gets an alarming phone call in the middle of the night

warnings — angst, canon-typical violence, mentions of death

word count — 2,528

notes — a few things: i wrote this back in january, and it was rushed and poorly done but im being self-indulgent for this one | also im not tagging anyone bc i wanna see how far this will get on its own (except for my beloved @shmaptainwrites who indulged me ily mimi)

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2:47am

Despite his many years working for the Jeffersonian, Hodgins had yet to get used to his phone ringing at odd hours. With a groan and a stretch, his palm landed where his phone lay on the nightstand table. Without checking the caller ID, he picked up the phone and slurred out a tired greeting to the caller on the other line.

“Hello, Dr. Hodgins, I’m Marie, calling from the George Washington University Hospital.” Why was a hospital calling him so late at night? “You’re listed as the emergency contact for Y/n Booth, correct?”

Your name sent a shock through Jack’s body. “I— I guess so, yeah. Why? Is she okay?”

“Your fiancée was shot on duty, sir. She’s in surgery right now. We suggest you be with her when she wakes up.”

Without a second thought, Jack hung up the phone and flung out of bed. He didn’t care how things ended between the two of you, good or bad, but he knew one thing for certain: he needed to make sure you were okay. After scrambling for a decent set of clothing and his car keys, Jack rushed out of the house and down the near-empty streets to the hospital you were taken to. 

Even though his mind was running at a mile a minute, Jack managed to recall what the nurse had told him. Shot on duty. You took a sabbatical seven months ago, were you back in town? Surely Booth must’ve known, he was your brother and co-worker, he had to have. Did he spare telling Jack to avoid the inevitable turmoil? Obviously you’d been back long enough to take a case, so it wasn’t like you had decided to come back out of the blue. 

By the time he found parking, it was half past 3 in the morning, and Jack’s heart refused to stop beating out of his chest, his palms sweating rivers as he clenched and unclenched them. Despite all of this, though, he approached the front desk with a cracking resolve, trying his best to be put together for the sake of not distressing the night staff and lingering patient family members. 

“Could you tell me where Y/n Booth is?”

The nurse behind the counter glanced up at him. “Connection to the patient?”

“I’m her-” he stumbled on the words. “Her, uh, fiancé. Emergency contact.” 

She typed a few things into the computer when a voice from behind caught Jack’s attention. 

“Hodgins.” Booth called, approaching with a weary face and a cup of likely burnt coffee.

Jack nearly sprinted over to the man, blue eyes frantically searching for answers in his features. “What’s up, man? I mean, what the hell happened?”

Booth took Hodgins by the arm and led him down a hallway, over to the elevators. “We were going after a perp. I told her not to go in first, that I’d handle the hard part. She didn’t listen, the bastard got her from behind, shot out one of her kidneys. Been in surgery for almost,” he checked his watch, “three hours now.” 

Jack deflated just as the elevator doors dinged open. The pair stepped inside, the space empty apart from themselves. “I just— I don’t get it. Yesterday, she was somewhere even I didn’t know, taking some damn sabbatical. Yesterday, I was still pissed at her. Now? She’s in surgery because she was on a case. Because some asshole shot her. I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do with that, Booth?”

Unable to provide any kind of emotional support or response, Booth remained quiet as his friend tried his best not to break down in the elevator. 

When the doors opened, Jack attempted to regain his composure as best as he could while Booth led him down the hall. There was a separate waiting room here, for family members who had someone in surgery. He sat opposite Booth, next to a sleeping little girl and her obviously exhausted mother. 

He had no bearing of the passage of time, and felt as though there was no energy left within him to check the watch on his wrist. All he did was sit with his hands on his knees, head tilted to the sky, one leg bouncing like an infinite rubber ball. At some point, a doctor came out to notify the mother of her husband’s successful surgery — his tumor was gone, he’d told her, and there was little chance of it coming back. 

It wasn’t until the sun started to peek in through the waiting room windows that a surgeon called out your name. Booth had been asleep in the chair across from Jack, but he was wide awake. The pair jumped up and approached the doctor, throwing questions at him rapidly. 

“Y/n is okay. Surgery went well, though we’ll have to keep her here for longer than expected.”

“Why? What happened?” Booth asked. 

The doctor sighed. “Due to the location of the entry wound, the bullet caused too much damage to her right kidney. For now, she’ll only be functioning with one until we can find a donor match. She’ll be on dialysis weekly and some medication to assist the working kidney, but otherwise, she’ll be just fine in a week or so. The bullet did puncture the liver and small intestine, but the speed of the bullet slowed enough to only cause minor damage, nothing we couldn’t fix up.” He told them, and a wave of relief crashed over the pair. “She’s being brought up to her room now, if you’d like to go wait with her.”

Jack only nodded, Booth trailing him as the doctor led them up one more floor, where you were being transferred to the ICU. It was painful, seeing you after so  long, only for you to be hooked up to so many machines, laying nearly helpless in a bed. He pulled a chair up to your right side, reaching for your limp hand to hold, hoping you could feel him. 

Hoping you knew he was there. That you knew he always would be.

Booth leaned against the door frame, watching everything with anguish. After you left for California, you kept in constant contact with your older brother. But even in those months, you never explained why you broke off the engagement so suddenly. Why you took a surprise sabbatical, why you went to California specifically. Why you became so closed off, so cold to everyone, even to Parker. 

After a while, Booth left Jack alone to go pick up Parker from his mother’s house. He promised to be back later, your nephew in tow, and pressed a featherlight kiss to your forehead before he left. 

Jack, swimming in an ocean’s worth of thought, barely noticed the sun coming over the horizon in the window opposite him. All he could do was process the emotions flowing through him. Anger, that you left him so suddenly and without explanation. Despair, that you’d come back so long ago and didn’t come to see him, to work things out. Worry, that despite your life-saving surgery, you wouldn’t get a new kidney, or that you’d never be the same again. Anger again, but at the bastard who shot you. Triumph, that he was rotting in a cell right now. 

 Jack’s only comfort in the sterile, whitewashed room was the steady beeping emanating from the heart monitor, a small assurance that you were okay. His hand remained clasped over yours for hours, thumb stroking the smooth skin on the back of your hand. Partly as a comfort to himself that you were still there, but mostly, he believed, a comfort to you. He hoped you could feel it; that you could feel his presence. He hoped his presence comforted you. 

By the time you woke up, all the worry had faded from Jack’s body and exhaustion had taken its place. He was asleep, head supported by his arm on the side of the chair, when he heard the sheets rustle in the bed. 

Somehow, in all your years of work, this was the first time you ended up in the hospital due to a job-related injury. It wasn’t the first time you woke up dazed after a surgery with little memory of how you got there, though. 

The sheets, despite being thin, weighed down your legs and torso, providing warmth and comfort. You could feel the leads for the heart monitor stuck to your chest, irritating your skin in the slightest bit. There was a cannula feeding oxygen into your system, though it rubbed the skin on the back of your ears uncomfortably. The main thing, though, was that your torso hurt. 

Despite that, you managed to notice something weighing down your right hand. It was warm, warmer than the blankets. And heavier. Garnering the courage to open your eyes, you blinked to adjust to the sunlight and fluorescent lights, trying to shift yourself upward, wincing when it pulled on your wound. Instead, you glanced over at your hand, only to find another on top of it. Following the arm connected to it, your heart stuttered and cracked when you found a sleeping Hodgins sitting next to your bed. Emotion swelled within your chest and tear ducts just at the sight of him, sleeping so peacefully next to you, his hand over yours in a firm grasp, as if that was the only thing that assured him that you were really here. 

Slowly, quietly, you tried to pull your hand out from under Jack’s, only for the movement to wake him up. He stretched with a deep inhale, blinking rapidly as he took in his surroundings. It wasn’t until he noticed you were awake that he seemed to come to his senses. 

“Hey,” he nearly whispered. “How’re you feeling?”

You bit back a scoff. “Terrible. First job back and of course I had to get myself shot.” 

Jack fought a smile, scooting forward to raise the bed up for you to sit properly. “They said they got all the fragments of the bullet during surgery. You’re down a kidney for now, though.”

You only nodded, allowing yourself some time to gather your thoughts. “Why are you here, Hodgins?”

“Apparently, I’m still your emergency contact.” He told you, sitting back down and resting his elbows on his knees. “And apparently, I still care about you enough to show up.” 

“Don’t put that on me.” You whispered, chest restricting as tears fought their way back to your waterline. “You can’t say that to me. Not after what I did to you. You should hate me. I mean, really hate me. Like, praying for my downfall, kind of hate. You shouldn’t still care about me.”

“Well, apparently I do. I thought I hated you, for a long time. But I guess I don’t.” Jack sighed,  taking your hand. You wanted to protest, to pull away, but you let him. “I guess this was a wakeup call for me. Literally. They called me at 3 in the morning to tell me you were in surgery.”

You laughed, a wet sound underlined with sadness. “I’m sorry, Jack. Really, I am. I just…”

“What, don’t love me? It’s okay. I’ve learned to live with it.” 

Even when he should hate you, Jack still understood, and even worse, he still loved you. He was, somehow, the world’s most understanding man. God, you love him. 

“No, no I don’t hate you. Actually, it’s the opposite. I just wish things could’ve gone differently.” 

Now Jack was just confused. “What d’you mean? You broke up with me for a reason, right? You told me you didn’t love me anymore.”

“It’s too complicated, Jack. I want to explain it all to you, really, but it’s not safe. I don’t know if or when it will be, and I won’t blame you if you want to find someone else, or if you already have. You deserve to be happy, Jack. You should move on from me.” 

“I don’t want anyone else.” Jack said, emphasizing each word and squeezing your hand. “I just want you. From the moment I met you, I knew you were it for me, Y/n. Even with your brother breathing down my neck to not even think about pursuing our relationship. It was terrifying, but I ignored it. Because you were too important to have in my life. I couldn’t risk passing you up. I just don’t understand why you ended things so suddenly.”

The tears that you had been attempting to keep at bay for this entire conversation now flowed freely down your cheeks, the emotions you’d kept close to your chest for nearly a year now breaking free. Jack, like the gentleman he was, gently tilted your head toward him, reaching up and using the pads of his thumbs to brush them from your cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” you whimpered, daring to look him in the eye. 

“Don’t be.” He whispered. 

“I have to be. I hurt you. I ruined everything. And it wasn’t even worth it. It  didn’t change anything.”

Despite his confusion, Jack said nothing. He simply stood to his full height and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling you into his chest — minding your wounds and stroking your hair. “It’s okay. You’re home now. We can fix this.”

“No we can’t.” You shook your head, looking up at him. “Jack, there’s nothing left to fix. Because if we fix it, you’ll die.” 

After what felt like an eternity of swirling, spiraling thoughts, Jack found his voice. “What?”

“That’s why I left.” You said. “I was ordered to. I was working on a case, some underground organized crime syndicate. I found out some stuff I shouldn’t have. My hands were tied, I had no choice.” Choking back a sob, you wiped the tears from your face and took a breath. “It was either break up with you, call off the wedding, and leave, or everyone I loved would die. They were gonna kill you, kill Seeley and Parker, and drain your accounts. There was nothing I could do.” 

Jack pulled you in tighter, his whole worldview shifting and turning on an axis. He couldn’t speak — hell, he could barely even think right now. Jack had spent months grieving your relationship, questioning why you broke things off, harboring a ruthless anger at what his life had become, and all of it faded to dust in an instant. 

“I don’t know what to do,” you whispered, pulling Jack back to the present. “I work with these people, Jack. They could ruin me in an instant.” 

“We’ll fix this, I promise.” Jack declared, and despite the fear that had overridden your senses for the past few months, you couldn’t help but believe him. 

You only nodded, curling further into him as best as you could with your incisions. Fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie, you listened to the beat of his heart beneath you and took a deep breath. 

Soon enough, you were drifting off to sleep with the firm belief that soon enough, with the help of your family, somehow, everything would be okay. 

if you want more jack fics, please feel free to comment and let me know!! writing for smaller characters is always a gamble but if people read this i’d be more than happy to do so!

[mockerycrow]

Hey want some angst? (I’m not sure if it is angst lol)

This has been haunting my head so now it shall haunt yours

So you know how ghosts whole family died?

Imagine reader being one of ghosts siblings but they didn’t die and just ran away in the military 

And years later reader and ghost across ways one day and while ghost is happy that their alive reader one the other hand wants NOTHING to do with him and this breaks ghosts heart so he becomes cold to reader but reader changes their mind and wants him to come back into their life and

(This is the part where my head cannon that ghost and Simon are mentally two different people)

While ghost hates reader Simons like “nooo that’s my sibling :(“

And ghost is like “well damn sounds like a you problem”

-🫠

NO BECAUSE LET ME ELABORATE…

You and Simon were the sole survivors—and of course, you didn’t know Simon survived, so you thought you were alone for so long. You ended up developing a harsh exterior, refusing anyone to get close.

You ended up joining the military—it was easy for you to get through everything mentally. Of course you cared for your teammates to an extent, but overall? No one knew you. No one knew what you liked to do, what your favorite color was, no one knew anything about your personal life—you were there to live on in the military. At least it gave you a purpose, right? So you kept training to keep yourself healthy and strong. You began to climb the ranks after a few years—rejecting any friends, any contacts, anything. The only person whose managed to stick around is Chief Laswell—it’s not like you can get rid of your superiors, right? She sits you down, and with you two is an unfamiliar man with military fatigues on, except his jacket is missing, so it’s just his dark green shirt, his camp pants and his boots.

“No way.” You refuse, crossing your arms.

“Why not?” Laswell questions, glancing at you and then at the man. She gestures to him. “This is Captain John Price, the leader of the 141. He’s reviewed your file and he thinks you’d be an excellent fit.”

You shake your head again. “I’ve heard of the 141 and I respect you guys and the work you do, but I wouldn’t be a good fit.”

Price presses his lips together. “Your file suggests you’re a loner, is that right?” You nod, your eyebrows furrowed. Price hums for a moment, looking at you. “We have a loner type in the task force, why don’t you just give it a try? A.. test run of sorts.” And for some reason, you agreed.

And that’s where you met Ghost—and you didn’t know it was Simon right away, but fuck, did he panic when he saw familiar eyes glaring back at him.

You changed a lot—and it wasn’t for the better.

[raya-hunter01]

Lights, Camera, Action! Pt. 5

Lights, Camera, Action!

Jey Uso x Black Female OC! (Shantell)

Roman x Black Female OC! Tangela

Solo x Black Female OC! Sofia

Jimmy x Trin

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; oral, sex, fluff, defloration (Virginity) masturbation

Words: 7,288

Summary: How do you keep it together as Smackdown’s production director and navigate your life as the girlfriend of Mr. Main Event Jey Uso.  Follow Shantell as she navigates her life as a girlfriend, sister, and confidant to the bloodline. Follow her on her journey to self-discovery of love and happiness.

R&B Brunch Club

One Week Later

Shantell’s POV

I can’t believe I let them talk me into coming here, but I have to say this is a cool concept. Blasting R&B past and present, people just vibing together from all walks of life enjoying. The dance floor isn’t too bad either.

“You drinkin' tonight?” Trin asks as I shake my head. “Nah, I don’t really feel like it,” I say nursing my ginger ale trying to keep the nausea at bay.

“I can’t believe this shit,” I hear Joe mutter as I follow his eyes and there was Jey and Taraji making their way over to our table. “Who invited her ass, I knew ya’ll invited him,” Tangela says looking at Taraji hanging all over Jey, who didn’t seem to mind.

“I know you fuckin’ lyin’. He knew Shan would be here, and he comes in here with her ass,” Trin hisses as Solo looks guilty.  He took a sip of his drink looking around. “We didn’t get to celebrate his win last week. Regardless of what we think, he’s with her and we got to accept it,” Solo says taking a deep breath.

“Guys, it’s ok, I’m good.  I don’t want ya’ll arguing, your family,” I say looking at them.  “So are you, we meant that shit when we said it,” Joe said looking at Jey shaking his head.

“Girl you so mature, because I would have been done beat his ass, and hers,” Sofia says eying the couple.  I took a deep breath as I felt Sofia’s hand on my leg.  I refuse to let this ruin my night, I’m going to dance and have fun. I looked over at Jimmy who is nursing his drink shooting daggers at his brother.

Jey’s POV

I see my family sitting at the table, and I know in this moment I’m wrong for bringing Taraji here. Shit! Shantell did decide to come. I know that ain’t the dress I bought for her to wear on our first date.

“What up my fam,” I say eying Shantell up and down as I see her plaster a small smile on her face. “Sit down, Uce,” Solo says getting up making room for us.

“This place is so nice,” Taraji says looking around as Shantell is nodding her head to the music, ignoring making eye contact with me. I couldn’t help staring at her, she was on point tonight, hell every night.

The table was quiet and tense as Joe finally spoke.  “let’s party,” he says ordering a round for the table. “Let’s dance, ladies,” Solo says standing up as all the girls except Taraji went to join him dance floor. She stayed sitting beside me, and I wanted to disappear. Why the hell did I bring her here?

Joe’s POV

“Why don’t you join them Taraji,” Jimmy says as I see him gulp, trying plaster a smile on his face. At least he’s trying, I guess.  “Yea, come on Jey,” she says pulling him up to go dance. “You just had to open your mouth,” I say eying Jimmy.

“Look I was trying to be nice, this shit ain’t easy,” he says honestly. “Well, now she bout to try to make Shantell jealous,” I said looking at them on the dance floor.  “Shan is in her element, she ain’t bothered bout that shit,” Jimmy says shrugging his shoulders pointing at Shan and Solo dancing.

As the Flex by Cupid started to play, we shared a knowing smile. “Ah, Shan and Solo bout to tear it up, let’s go by the dance floor,” I say also wanting to keep an eye on my wife as well because some of these guys like to get too touchy feely for me.  

"I’m going to dance with my wife, she got too much ass to be dancing to this song alone,” Jimmy laughs heading ahead of me, sliding in beside Trin as she gives him a quick kiss.

Jey’s POV

I love dancing especially with Shan, she doesn’t have a care in the world when she’s dancing. I find myself glancing down at her and she wasn’t disappointing. Her arms in the air moving, her body in sync to the music hitting every step,

I feel my dick tighten in my pants just looking at her fine ass controlling the dance floor in her own little world dancing next to Solo.

Slide to the right Slide to the left Right foot left foot then turn with it Right foot left foot then turn with it

“She just gotta be so sexy with that shit. Just throwing dat ass I love in a circle,” I mumble as I can’t help but to watch her, and I don’t care who sees me.

Now flex Come on flex Back it up, back it up Then turn to the left

“I know she ain’t disrespecting me? She really out here backing it up and twirlin' her ass like she single. The hell you say,” I mumble as I watched her continuing to swirl her hips, looking like a sex goddess.  Her moves are making it hard for me to control myself, we gotta talk about this shit.

I look around and I swear I’m bout to nut up as I see men looking at her. “Nah, this shit ain’t gon work, that’s my woman,” I mumble looking around the club at the attention that’s on her and my brother. I don’t even feel like dancing no more, I walked off to stand by Joe as Taraji stayed on the dance floor trying to keep up with them.

“They killin' it out there,” Joe says looking at the girls, Solo and Jimmy as they all moved together. Many of the people are now standing by watching, some recording. “Yea, a little too good,” I say looking at Shan as she continues to glide across the floor flawlessly in her heels.

Shantell’s POV

“Man, it’s lit in here!” Jimmy shouts as hey pulls Trin close to him as they share a kiss. We continued to dance as the D.J.’s voice rang out through the crowd. “Welcome to the R& B Brunch! Ya’ll we gon’ take it back with an oldie but goodie.”

The opening cords to “I like by Guy” began playing “Ah, shit! He jammin’ now,” Jimmy says taking mine and Trin’s hand as we danced together. The atmosphere was awesome as the whole crowd sang along, finishing the lyrics when the DJ stopped the music. I haven’t had this much fun in so long.

“Excuse me, Shan,” I hear as I turn and it’s no other than Montez Ford. “Hey you!” I greeted him with a hug as he laughed dappin’ up Jimmy and gave Trin a hug as well.

“How you ended up here?” I asked as he shrugged, smiling at me. “I came down to see to check on my mom,” he says as we made small talk for a few minutes on the dance floor casually dancing a little.

“Well, ya’ll shut it down out here, I might have to steal a dance before I leave Shan,” he says as I blush. “She would love that,” Trin says smiling as Jimmy shoots her a look.

“What! She’s single,” Trin says grabbing Jimmy’s hand steering them back to our table, leaving Montez and I on the dance floor. “Well, you heard the lady,” he says smiling at me as we began dancing together. His hands went around my waist pulling me close.

Ok, unexpected but it doesn’t feel bad as he spun me around and started doin' some old school dance moves. He's such a clown, and I can't help but to join in laughing.

“Sis, you good?” I hear Solo ask coming over to us. “Yea, I’m good,” I say shooting him a smile as I see him looking over my shoulder at something with a worried expression.

I spun around dancing, playing it off as my eyes landed on Jey. His gaze was so intense, it almost seemed like he was questioning me with his eyes.  If looks could kill Montez would be dead. “Great,” I mutter as I turn back to Montez finishing our dance.

Jey’s POV

“Why you staring at her like she is doing something wrong?” Joe questions me as I continued to look at Shan and Montez on the dance floor.

“She knows I don’t play that shit,” I say watching this clown’s hands as he's trying to find a reason to touch her. He really trying it, bitch ass.

“Dude, you here with a whole ass woman, who is pregnant with yo child,” Joe says frowning his face up at me before looking back at Shan and Montez on the dance floor. I don’t even care Taraji is out there dancing with someone else at the moment.

“Wait, so she’s just suppose to put her life on hold while you play house with Taraji?" Tangela asks looking at me pissed off.  “You done truly lost yo rabid ass mind,” Trin says shaking her head at me. They comin’ at me from all sides, but I don’t care Shan is my woman.

“Shantell knows she’s mine,” I say as Jimmy cuts me off. “But do you know your hers!” Jimmy says staring angrily at me. “Cause if you know it, fix it! Co-parent with Taraji ass and get your woman back,” he says bluntly not caring who could hear. “It ain’t that easy, “I say tapping my nervous fingers on the table.

  “Fuck, what people say, mama ass included!” Jimmy hisses at me as the table gets quiet. The tension is real as I feel attacked listening to the truth bombs my brother is laying on me. “I need a drink,” Solo says standing up. “Bro, keep an eye on Shan,” I say as he nods heading to the bar.

Shantell’s POV

“Thanks, for the dance Montez,” I say giving him a hug before excusing myself to get some air. I hate how he can just stare at me and get under my skin; I did nothing wrong.

“So, you layin’ down for him da night?” Jey accuses walking up to me as I try to put distance between us.” Really, you want to go there?” I question as I see the anger in his face. “Yea, I do! You been twirling yo ass all night like you single!” He hisses at me as I do the only thing, I felt like doing, I laughed straight in his face.

News flash! Jey, I am single,” I say smiling at him and it seems to have set him off. “No, yo ass ain’t  and stop calling me Jey,” he says warning me, invading my space. “You with somebody, you really think my life is going to stop. Nah, you got the game and me fucked up!” I shout as he backed me up against the wall.

“I ain’t gon’ have another night of men staring at you, or having anybody feel comfortable enough to approach you like I ain’t even here. You understand me, Shan?” he asked as I didn’t respond at first. “Have a good night,” I say beginning to walk away.

He grabbed my arm, and in an instant took me in a possessive kiss as I struggled not to moan, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You came up in here, shaking yo ass, givin all these bums a show, showing them how you put it down for me,” he groans nipping at my neck as I gasped feeling his hands roaming under my dress.

  “I paid for this dress, and you out her dancing with another man in it,” he groans as he slides my underwear to the side playing with my clit, before thrusting one of his fingers inside me as I kissed him.

Stay strong Shan, don’t give in my mind was screaming. My heart and body were betraying me as he’s all over me, overriding my senses as I’m moving against his fingers inside me.  

“We can’t keep doing this. We either going to be together or you let me go,” I gasp as he kisses me again, it’s so powerful it scares me. “I can’t let you go; I love you. Just let me take care of you” he pants against my mouth as I turn my head finally snapping out of his spell.

“No!” I shouted pushing him off me as we both are trying to catch our breath. “You want to be with me, you say you love me?!  I question getting more worked up by the second. “You know I do Shantell,” Jey says with an irritated groan readjusting himself.

“Then man up!  Be a man, show me that you love me! EARN ME!” I shout as I feel it’s the only way for him to hear me. I see Solo by the entrance looking at me worried as I wave him off that I’m ok.

 “I am a man! A man who fuckin’ loves yo' ass! He shouts, pointing his hands at me in exhaustion. “Ugh!! You make me can’t fuckin’ stand you!” I screamed, hitting his chest in frustration. “I’m trying Shan! I’m in a mess that I don’t know how to get out of! What am I suppose to do?” he asks as I could feel the heavy weight, he’s carrying on his shoulders.

“Choose to make yourself happy for once,” I whispered hugging him feeling like he really needed it as the moment, we both did. After a few minutes I did what I had to do, I kissed him gently on the lips and walked away.

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Fatu Family Barbecue

Jey’s POV

“Can you stop pushing him to be with Taraji. Ma, the boy miserable, he loves Shan, “I hear Jimmy say as he’s helping her in the kitchen.

“I ain’t did nothing, he knows that he laid down with her and made a baby. That’s his responsibility to take care of her and the baby,” she says with attitude in her tone.  “Ma,” Jimmy says as she cuts him off. “I’m talkin’ son, I know he loves Shan, but maybe it isn’t meant to be,” she said as Jimmy frowns sitting beside her.

“Ma, times have changed, he could be a great dad and not be tied down to a woman he despises. Josh, been crazy over Shantell since he first laid eyes on her in 2018,” Jimmy says as my she rolled her eyes at him.

“Yea, so much he divorced his wife, which I still ain’t forgiven.  Now we’re adding illegitimate babies to the damn list,” she says as the insult just rolling off tongue without a second thought.

“Ma, she was cheating on him, their divorce was in progress months before Shantell even came to WWE doing her internship,” Jimmy says trying to make her understand.

“Yea, I heard,” she snaps as Jimmy shakes his head. “Josh will do what I ask and will eventually grow to love Taraji and his family. It’s what’s right,” she says taping her hands on the table.

“Ma, if you really knew this girl, you would be begging Josh to stay away from her. The baby would be legitimized after the blood test, he or she would have the family name,” Jimmy says pleading my case. I loved my brother, my twin. We shared a bond like no other, but it was my battle to fight.

“Ma, I can’t do this no more,” I say walking into the kitchen leaning against the fridge. “What you mean you Joshua!?” she asks raising her voice.

“Calm down, I know you raised us a certain way. Ma, I can’t just turn my feelings off and marry somebody I don’t love,” I say trying to get my point across.  

“You can learn,” she says, her cold stare making me uncomfortable. “Ma, I’m sorry, I love Shan, and I gotta make it right with her,” I say honestly.  “Why her?” my mother questions in anger. “Because I know she’s going to be my wife one day,” I say confidently as I see my brother smiling at me with pride.

“So, instead of staying away like I asked, she’s encouraging you to abandon your responsibilities. I was so wrong about her, these damn career girls, I tell you.”She sighs getting up going to the sink. Jimmy and I share a look as he nods his head for me to continue.

“Ma, she ain’t told me to neglect my responsibilities, she told me to do what makes me happy. She’s right, I can’t live my life for you,” I say finally finding my voice to stand firm with my mom as I spot Taraji listening at the door.

“Jey, I’m not feeling well, can we go. I want to go lay down, the pain is trying to come back a little,” she says holding her stomach.

“Yea, I was ready to leave anyway,” I say giving my mom a kiss. “I’ll talk to you later, I love you,” I say as her face doesn’t hide the fact, she is not happy with me. “Bro, I’ll hit you up later,” Jimmy says as Taraji and I head out.

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Solo & Sofia’s House

Shantell’s POV

“Ya’ll should have gone with the guys to the family dinner,” I say coming out of the bathroom for the second time. All this throwing up is for the birds “No ma’am something is wrong with you, and we need to find out what it is,” Trin says sitting on the bed next to me.

“We all wanted to make sure your good Sofia,” adds as I steady my breathing trying to not throw up again.

“I think you pregnant,” Tangela says as I shake my head at her. “No, that isn’t possible,” I say fighting the tears in my eyes. “Don’t cry, you are going make me cry,” Tamina says, but I couldn’t stop my tears from falling.

“I don’t want to do this ya’ll, I cried looking at my friends. “Well, I’m sorry this ain’t normal being this sick for weeks,” Sofia says standing at the end of my bed. “Sofia knows, she’s a nurse Shan,” Trin says agreeing with her as I laid back on the bed.  “The doctor said it was a slim chance of me having kids, ya’ll know that. Plus, I’m on the birth control shot,” I say quietly not trying to get upset thinking about that night my life changed and left me damaged.

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2018 After Raw

Mercy General Hospital, Chicago, IL

Being a student intern is fun and I’ve really seemed to have met some cool people in Joe, Josh, Trin and Jon. They really took me in and are taking care of me as I’m learning about the business. How many folks can say they got to do their summer internship with WWE. Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction to work here someday. Two more years of school and I’m free to pursue my dreams. Currently a temporary wrench was thrown in the plans as I lay here in the hospital.

“You sure you, ok?” Jey asks holding my hand as I’m trying to hold it together. “Well, I’m trying, it’s not every day you’re at work, collapse, and they tell you they need to do emergency surgery to take out one of your ovaries,” I say as Jey leans over wiping my tears away.

“You gon’ be ok,” he reassures me with a smile. His wife is a lucky woman, I hope they work it out their issues. I just appreciate how much of a great friend he’s been to me. He even rode in the ambulance with me here. “I’m going to be damaged; the doctor says having kids is going to be hard for me,” I say trying to keep my tears at bay.

“You ain’t gon’ be damaged, you everything Shan. A man would be lucky to have you, I mean you could adopt. You can do the thing where you let somebody carry the baby for you,” he says fumbling a little over his words.  “Well, I’m glad your positive about this,” I say throwing him a small smile. “A few of my family members are adopted, and we love them just the same, they blood, “he whispers kissing my hand.

 “You’re so nice to me,” I say feeling the drugs taking effect, trying to force my eyes to stay open.  “You stuck wit me too, yo' ass is in the family now. He says staring at me smiling lightly.  “Just sleep, everybody will be here when you wake up baby,” Jey says as I finally let sleep take over.

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“Shan, you hear me!” Tangela shouts bringing me out of my that painful but somewhat beautiful memory.

“I didn’t hear you; I was thinking about something else,” I said honestly. “Well, we got you a couple different type of pregnancy tests to take, let’s do this,” Tamina encourages as I look around at my circle of sisterhood.

“Fine, “I say going in the restroom shutting the door. There is no way I’m pregnant.

Tamina’s POV

“I say she’s pregnant,” Trin says getting tired of the silence. “This could get messy though with that Taraji girl,” Sofia says looking at her phone. “Chile, if Taraji pregnant I will twerk across a pit of hot ass coals. Now Shan, she preggo and we all know who the daddy is,” Tangela says confidently.

 A couple minutes later Shan opened the door in a daze almost like she had seen a ghost. “What is it, Shan?” Sofia asks rubbing her back as she saw the fresh tears falling silently down Shan’s face. “We didn’t mean to get your hopes up to take it,” Trin says feeling bad knowing how much Shan wanted to be a mom one day, we all did.

 Tangela and I walked around Shan going into the bathroom, looking at the tests lined up on the counter. “Holy shit!” Tangela exclaimed covering her mouth, slowly looking at every last test. They were all positive, Shan was pregnant just as we had figured.

Shantell’s POV

“No, I’m not pregnant,” I say rushing back in the bathroom looking again at the results. “Girl, let me break this down for you.  Test one has two pink lines…Pregnant,” Trin says as I roll my eyes at her. “Oh, I’m on a roll, follow me,” she taunts looking at the next two.

 “These two are digital. What do they say? Pregnant!” She exclaims as I try to cut her off, “I get it Trin,” I say trying to process the news.  “They all say the same thing, which is you’re going to be an amazing mother,” she says embracing me as I cried.

I always wanted children, but I put off the idea after my surgery. That’s one of the reasons I made Jey wait so long before I even dated him. I wanted him to be sure about us because I knew it was a chance, I couldn’t have children.

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Hospital, Pensacola, FL.

Jey’s POV

After we left my folks, I took Taraji home and she was back to saying Shan had attacked her after the PPV and she was now feeling more pain from time to time. So, I brought her to the hospital, and it’s been hours since I’ve heard anything.

Her sister Rachel works here, and she assured me she would help take care of her and give me updates. The other day I finally heard the baby’s heartbeat on a recording she had taken and I’m finally feeling attached in a way to the baby. I hope everything is ok with them both.

Taraji’s POV

“Look, he will never know. Just say you did a scan, found no heartbeat. I’ll turn on the tears and the rest is done, it matches up,” Taraji says begging her sister who is an ultrasound tech. “How the hell you get yourself into this shit anyway?” Rachel says shaking her head at me.

“I had a plan, but some kinks happened, but after this blows over, he’s going to want to make it up to me. So, then he will ask me to marry him,” I say confidently as there is more than one way to skin a cat. “What if he asks to speak to a doctor. You know with a miscarriage that far along you would do a procedure called a D&C.,” Rachel says not letting me get a word in edge wise.

“You are going out there to comfort him as my sister, he’s going to be so concerned with comforting me, he ain’t going to worry about the rest,” I reassure her as she shakes her head at me.

 Rachel’s POV

 “You can tell him they have already done the D&C since I’ve been back here practically all night. Say it was an emergency, and I asked you not to worry him,” Taraji says as I raise my eyebrows at her crazy idea. “You are a piece of work;” I tell her stunned by the words coming out of my sister’s mouth.

 “Shit, like this always comes out Taraji, I could lose my job or even go to jail, I say looking at my her, angry about being put in this situation. “It won’t come to that I assure you;” Taraji says turning to looking out the window in a daze.

Taking a deep breath, I walked into the waiting room. This poor guy, the couple times I met Jey, he was so nice. My money hunger sister just doesn’t give a shit who she hurts. She really thinks saying she lost a baby is going to guilt him into marrying her.

“Hey, can we talk outside?” I asked him as his worried eyes told the story of a man with a lot on his plate. As we walked outside, I was struggling with what I had to do. “What’s wrong Rachel?” Jey asks worried. “Taraji had a miscarriage, and they had to do a D&C,” I say calmly. “Excuse me?” he questions, his face scrunching up in disbelief.

“The baby didn’t make it,” I say feeling myself about to cry as I see him about to break down. “You sure?” he asks quietly as a few tears had fallen from his eyes. “I’m sorry Jey, she should be ready to go home soon since the procedure was done a couple hours ago and she’s doing ok,” I say embracing him as he sobs. God, I’m evil like her, I can’t believe she has roped me into this.

“Can I see her?” he asked as I nod making the long journey back to Taraji’s room and thank God, she has been given her discharge papers. Looks like she may get away with this after all.

I watch from the door as Taraji started crying as Jey went over to hold her, both of them crying silently together. “Shan cost us our baby,” I heard her silently weep as he held her tighter. “It’s ok Raji, I got you,” he sooths her. I can’t watch anymore; I feel like confessing now. “I got some final paperwork to do before my shift ends; I will call you later.” I say as they seem to not hear me.

Sofia’s POV

I hate the morning shift; I would rather work all night. I had just clocked in making my way to the nurse’s station.  Turing the corner I ran into my brother-in law and Taraji. “Jey, ya’ll ok?” I asked walking over to him as he hugged me tight. “The baby is gon'," he cries as I rub his back and glance back at Taraji. I don’t know, it’s something about the look on her face that just don’t sit right with my spirit.

“I’m so sorry, bro,” I whisper comforting him as I held him for a few minutes. “Thanks, sis, I need to get Taraji back to her apartment,” he says pulling away starting to push Taraji towards the exit. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Taraji,” I say as they continued their way out, “Thank you,” she says still holding her head down.

I tried to call Solo, but I got no answer. Shantell was staying with us, waiting on the remodeling of her house to get done. I just hoped Jey didn’t have plans of going to our house today. I texted Shantell quickly after calling and getting no answer from her either, trying to give her a heads up.

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Solo & Sofia’s House

Solo’s POV

I see my brother’s car speeding into my driveway. “What the hell he got going on?” I say out loud, seeing him run up to my front door, knocking frantically.

“What’s goin’ on?” I ask stepping aside to let him in as he’s pacing. “Where is Shantell?” he asks as I see him trembling. “Maybe we should talk first, she’s upstairs asleep,” I say as he pushes me aside taking the steps two at a time. “Uce! Let her sleep, she’s been sick,” I say walking behind him as he reaches the spare bedroom door.

 “I need to see her now,” he says going inside slamming the door in my face, locking it.  “Josh! Let me in!” I semi shout now seriously worried about my brother and Shantell but also trying not to wake Cameron.  “I’m ok,” I hear Shan say as I stand by the door prepared to break it down if need be.

Shantell’s POV

“What is wrong?” I ask him as I saw a few tears streaming down his face. “You are what’s wrong! My mama was right!” He shouted as I looked at him trying to figure out what the hell was going on. “Me!” I say unsure of what he was trying to say.

“Taraji lost the baby,” he says coming towards me, his body trembling with rage. “Jey, I’m sorry,” I say honestly feeling sympathy for them both because I knew how much he wanted children. “Yo ass probably glad my baby died! You attacked her, didn’t you?” He shouted as I slapped him as hard as I could, the sound echoing throughout the room.  “I never touched her, and you know it!” I yelled in frustration that he would even believe that lie about me.

“I would never, that baby was never to blame for anything she or you did!” I continued as Jey seemed to be losing it, he wasn’t hearing anything I was saying,” “I think you were jealous; I mean it ain’t like you were gon’ give me any kids, Ms. damaged,” he says viciously at me as I gasped in shock.

How could he say something so cruel; it gutted my soul. My eyes filled instantly with tears as I backed away from him needing to put some space between us. Realizing what he said, I see the instant remorse on his face as he starts to follow me.  “No…. Stay away. You told me I was everything,” I whispered as he pulled me close hugging me as I began sobbing uncontrollably.

  I’m so sorry baby, I didn’t mean it,” he pleads as I’m trying to pull away. “Don’t fuckin touch me! I yell, finally pushing him away and using all my strength to slap him again. “Get out!” I scream as he continues to apologize.

“I didn’t mean it Shan; I swear to God. You’ve always been perfect baby; I shouldn’t have come here angry; “he says full of remorse and guilt. “You shouldn’t have done a lot of things,” I say wiping my tears, trying to calm myself down. “Look, just stay away from Taraji,” he says turning to walk away.

Pausing at the door, I heard his broken voice” I’m sorry, I really am,” he whispers, walking out of the room closing the door behind him.

“I… I’m pregnant,” I barely whisper finally letting the emotion take over me as I felt my world crumbling down.

Solo’s POV

I started to move, seeing the door open as Jey walked out of Shan’s room. I see red as he almost collided with me. “What the hell you say to her?” I ask hearing her crying. “I fucked up, I got to go,” he says as I block his path, refusing to move.

“You don’t come in my house slamming fuckin' doors and attacking people that love you. You need to fix your mess!” I say slightly raising my voice. “Move Solo!” Jey shouts in my face as I still refuse to move. I can’t let him drive in this condition something is wrong. “You gon’ hit me, Josh?” I ask looking at his closed fists and hard stare.

“What the fuck is wrong wit you? My son!  Your nephew is in this house!” I hiss in his face as it finally seems dawn on him when I mention Cameron, that he’s out of control.  I see his body relax and his fists open as he collapses against my shoulder, as I hugged him.

“My baby gon’ man,” he cried as I held him tight. “He gone” he cried against my chest. “I got you, bro, I always got you,” I say holding my brother letting him grieve the loss of his child.

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Smackdown

Shantell’s POV

“I need a favor Shantell,” Paul says looking at me. “Sure, what you need,” I ask almost dreading what it would be. “Janice is out, and I need someone to walk Jey, he is going to enter through the crowd tonight,” he says looking at me.

“You need me to give him his cue,” I say finishing his sentence.  “You would be correct,” he says with a small smile as I got up to go find Jey.

I found him by the side entrance with Jimmy and Trin as they seemed to be in deep conversation. “Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to walk Jey up to make his entrance,” I say making my presence felt as Jimmy hugged him.

Sis, I need to talk to you later,” Jimmy says giving me a quick hug. “I’ll catch you after the show,” I say as Trin gives me a hug. “Have you told him?” she whispers as I shake my head no in response. “I’ll text you,” I said as I could feel Jey’s eyes on me.

“Let’s get this over with,” he says breaking my thoughts as we made our journey up to the 105 section in silence waiting below the steps. I see him looking down at his title around his waist in deep thought.

I’m sorry beautiful,” he finally says grabbing my hand. I look around to see if anyway is around recording or looking.  “I know your grieving. You know I never touched her,” I say looking down as I feel him kiss the top of my head, his hands rubbing my shoulders “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” he says as we stand in silence.

“Well, it’s time for you to get ready,” I say as I began talking in my headset. "What camera do you want on Jey?” Stu asks through my headset “Camera five Jey will be coming down your way from section 105 pace yourself Don,” I say as I began the countdown for his entrance”

"5,4,3,2,1 go kill it,” I say as he storms into the crowd. “I’m on my way back, Paul and I know you set me up to talk to Jey” I say heading back to Gorilla. “Prove it,” he says laughing into my headset as I rolled my eyes.

Gorilla After Smackdown

Shantell’s’ POV

Sitting in Gorilla packing up my things I got a text from Trin. “Girl, I believe shit bout to hit the fan, Jey got a call from Mike asking to meet with him by his office. It was something about some labs that had been done,” “Ah, hell,” I mutter as I finished packing up my things. I went to find Jimmy and Trin refusing to give Jey’s drama anymore power over me. It isn’t my business; I’ve got my own issues to deal with.

Rounding the corner, I saw him talking to Mike and it seemed to be a tense conversation. “God, why you keep putting me in these positions, this ain’t my business no more,” I groan to myself as I hide where they can’t see me.

 “You sure, Uce?” I heard him say as Mike put his hand on his shoulder. “We do routine pregnancy tests through blood work, along with their full body work up panel for the women. We do it every couple of months,” Mike says trying to explain the situation to a confused Jey.

 “So, what you sayin’ man,” Jey asks anxiously. “Her checkup panel results were all good, but her pregnancy screen was negative, she isn’t pregnant Jey, labs don’t lie.” Mike says, looking at him with sympathy.  

“You got it wrong; she just miscarried last weekend when we were home,” Jey says rubbing his face anxiously. “Who told you that?” Mike asks intrigued. Her sister works at the hospital, and she told me Taraji lost the baby,” Jey says trying to wrap his head around what was being said.

“So, no doctor told you that correct?” Mike asked as Jey shook his head no. “Jey, I think you’ve been had son, there is no way Taraji was pregnant, blood work doesn’t lie,” he says giving him the results and a comforting quick hug before going back into his office.

“I can’t believe this shit!”  Jey shouts hitting his fist against the wall before stalking out of the building.

“Babygirl, why you hiding in the corner,” Joe says coming over to me with Tangela, Trin, and Jimmy in tow. “You and Jimmy need to talk to Jey, he just stormed out of the building,” I say nervously, still trying to process the news I heard.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asks, grabbing my hand, giving me a look as I looked at Trin. She quickly looked down, unable to look at me. She blabbed. “It’s not that,” I say as he smiles at me before looking down at my stomach,” Yea, he knew. “It’s about something else, but it’s not my business to tell,” I say to them.

“Well, you girls head to the bus and we will go check on him,” Jimmy said all headed out of the building, separating at the buses.

--------------------------

Hospital, Pensacola FL.

Sofia’s POV

It’s been a slow night so far, but Rachel seems to be really on edge. I wasn't trying to not listen to her call, but then I heard who she was talking too, and my interest peaked. Something just isn’t right about her and her damn sister.

“I did what you wanted, I could still lose my job Taraji,” she whispers as I frown watching her.

“Lisa, I’m about to take my lunch break early, I got a little headache,” I said walking out of the er. I needed to be sure, so I headed down to the medical records room.  “Where is it,” I say talking to myself as I’m looking for Taraji’s medical file.

 It took awhile but there it was in writing under doctor’s notes. I got more pissed off the more I read.   Patient was brought in with complaints of stomach pains, x-rays, blood work were all normal. Further testing was done in a form of a pregnancy test through blood work, pregnancy screening panel results were negative.

“Son of a bitch,” I whisper looking at the rest of the notes. I quickly made a copy of all the information before clocking out for my break. I went to my car and tried to call my husband, but so far there was no answer.  I hate when he forgets to take his phone off silent when finally leaving the building.

-----------------

Jey’s Bus

Jey’s POV

“Jey, what Mike got to lie about? “Joe asks trying to reason with me as I’m grasping at straws. “Ya’ll didn’t see her at the hospital, she was devastated,” I say trying to not get ahead of myself.

“I think she heard us talkin’ with ma, she panicked. She knew that blood work from Mike was gon’ expose her ass too,” Jimmy says honestly as Solo looks confused as he sees he has four missed calls from his wife.

“Hold on, Sofia been blowing me up,” he says looking worried. “I hope everything is ok,” I say as he gets up to call her back.

“Sofia, baby slow down, I can’t understand you,” Solo said turning his phone on speaker.

“Where is Jey, I tried to call you both,” her exhausted voice filled the bus as we all listened. “He’s here with me baby, what’s up?” he says as I feel my night is about to get worse.

“I did something I could get in trouble for, but I had to know. I just sent you and Jey some pictures of Taraji’s medical files, I just copied it at work,” I pulled out my phone to look at the pictures Sofia sent. My anger slowly taking over my body as I look at Taraji’s hospital records.

“Jey, I’m so sorry. Taraji was never pregnant;” Sofia says as I exit out of the pictures. This is the second time tonight I’ve looked at a piece of paper telling me there was never a baby. I don’t even know what to feel as I got up and retreated to my room slamming the door.

Jimmy’s POV

“Sofia, thank you for looking out for my brotha,” I said hearing how sad her voice sounded. “I love ya’ll, we’re family,” she says as I smile at Solo, he really had him a ride or die in Sofia.  

“Baby, I love you, I’m gon’ check on you later,” he says as he and Sofia hung up. “So now what happens?” Joe asks as I rub my face. “We be there for him because I know my twin, it’s about to get ugly” I say heading back to speak with him.

“Uce, it’s me,” I say going inside. I could feel and see his pain as he is listening to the recording Taraji had given him, saying it was their child’s heartbeat.” “It was all a lie man, got me out her cryin’ over a baby that didn't even exist,” he says throwing his phone.

“We gon’ get through it,” I say reassuring him as we sat in silence. It was an unspoken bond, when my brother hurt, I’m hurt too.

“I was gon' be a dad,” he said pulling out the ultrasound picture, studying it for a few moments before ripping it up.

I hated seeing him like this and I wanted to scream at the top of lungs that Shantell was pregnant, but I knew it wasn’t my secret to tell.

“What you gon’ do bout Taraji?” I ask as I felt a shift in his demeanor. “I’m gonna find out why, Uce,” he says as we sit in silence trying to figure out what the next step was.

Taglist: @reci24 @southerngirl41 @vebner37 @jeyusos-girl @melaninsugababy @romanreignkisser @bebesobrielo @arination99 @2-muchsauce

[kikithecoconut]

USHER HEADCANON/THEORY!!!!!!

I think that Roderick had a system of how/when he brought in each child.

Freddie and Tammy he’s had since birth

Vic to me was young when she was brought in like still a kid

Leo was 18

Camille was 20

Perry was 16

I think that the options for the youngest 3 were,

1. They’re fully grown, 18+. He doesn’t have to actually raise them

2. He’s looked into them and knows they would be good at business.

“If you’re my blood you’re my blood” he does mean that but it doesn’t mean that as soon as he finds out you’re alive that you’re in the family.

I refuse to believe he didn’t know about Leo and Camille until they were adults, there’s no way their mother’s didnt try to contact Roderick before he ‘found out’

For Freddie and Tammy he didn’t get a choice. They’re his kids they were always going to be in.

Vic was the first so I think he felt obligated to take her regardless of age. I think she must’ve been young because Tammy tells her “we still remember when you showed up” which implies to me that they were all still kids when Vic came in - it’s also why she feels more comfortable with the older 2. They’re closer in age. I also wonder if something happened with her mother that meant he had to bring her in earlier because her mother wasn’t at the funeral, so dead maybe?? Or just didn’t want Vic.

With Leo, I’m sure he knew before 18. Leo obviously doesn’t care about the business side of things. He’s their press guy he talks to the reporters and whatnot. I think Roderick had people watching his bastards to see what they would be good for, and they found that Leo was confident he was a good speaker, and so they brought him in at 18. Not a child so he doesn’t need to raise him and he has something he can do.

Camille was 20. Complete adult, she’s not on the precipice of being a child or an adult she’s fully grown. Again he must’ve known about her beforehand, they never speak of stepfathers or even imply they exist which means their mothers were all single?? They must’ve needed SOME financial help. He finds that Camille is smart, she’s maybe the smartest of them all so far except for Vic. I like to imagine it was Madeline who really made Roderick utilise Camille. Both options check off for her; she’s over 18 so no raising her and she has something lined up.

Perry is the outlier. He was 16 and he also was obviously not good at business. Because we don’t get a lot of Perry at all, there’s not much info on him so most of this has to be guesswork?? I think Roderick had his 5. Everything was as good as it gets in the Usher house, and then he finds this kid. The other kids he knew about, he found Vic and Leo and Camille, but Perry was the outlier. He came out of nowhere, there’s seven years between him and Camille, and 23 between him and Freddie. He’s just so YOUNG. But he’s Roderick’s blood and he clearly wasn’t living well (“rags to fucking riches”) so he gave into the guilt and just brought him in. He didn’t think of the repercussions bringing a 16 year old into a life like that would bring.

[meekmedea]

i’ve been thinking about the trio’s disaster field trip for a while and what might have happened if clemmie wasn’t a time traveller and didn’t have the future knowledge to interrupt the president’s line and get them rescued-

so, by a stroke of luck, reaper manages to smuggle them out of school without getting caught, but they’ve still got an issue: how do they get back to the capitol?

they can’t contact their parents because periodically sneaking back to that school phone and hoping that their parent’s lines will be open isn’t a sustainable plan. there’s only so many excuses reaper can use to keep them hidden, and it’s too risky. though…the plan they (felix) comes up with next is arguably worse.

they accidentally ended up in d11 taking the wrong train, right? so taking the correct train should take them back to the capitol! easy!

spoiler: it’s not easy.

the trio doesn’t know the way back to the train station.

they turn to reaper.

reaper- “no”

clemmie- “🥺🥺”

reaper- “fine.”

so reaper helps them to the train station.

except…as their plans often do, things go south immediately. they nearly get caught by peacekeepers, only avoiding getting seen by hopping aboard a train car and hiding behind crates of produce being sent to the capitol.

close call, but they’re fine….until the doors to the train car are shut, and the train starts moving.

good news: the trio has made it back to the capitol! they’re home! success!

bad news: reaper is also in the capitol

felix suggests that reaper just sneaks onto a train back to d11, but reaper adamantly refuses because that disaster plan is what got him into this mess in the first place.

so now they’ve got to hide reaper until they can get him out of the capitol and back home (which turns out to be very difficult when their respective families have been worried over the trio being missing and are now paying extra attention to them to make sure they don’t get lost again.)

reaper regrets every decision he has made that has led him to this point.

(this entire idea came from this exchange that popped into my head:

endymion to clemmie: there is a boy in your closet. why is there a boy in your closet?

reaper: ….

clemmie: ….

reaper, internally: stupid fennel and his stupid plans and clementine’s stupidly bright smile- why did i ever get involved???

reaper is seconds away from digging a hole and burying himself in it.)

tl;dr: the troublesome trio dragging long-suffering reaper into their mess.

omg I love this so, so much!

Poor Reaper, he's going through it 😭😭. And can you imagine his family panicking back in 11?

Haha to add on to Endymion discovering Reaper in Clemensia's closet...

Clemensia, panicking: He's my friend. From school. Endymion, in disbelief: From school? Reaper, internally: Panem, this is it. This is what I get for falling for a pretty smile.

Technically Clemensia isn't lying. Reaper is from school. Just not from one in the Capitol.

Endymion probably gets the story sooner or later. Clemmie is a bit of a daddy's girl.

The (adult) Dovecotes have a talk -> like yes, the war has just ended and they likely don't have the greatest sympathy to the Districts. But this is a child the same age as their daughter. One that their daughter is very insistent on helping get home. (Endymion finds it hard to tell his daughter no. In a way, father and daughter are each other's weaknesses.)

First things first, Reaper probably gets an actual room. Because no, Clemensia, you cannot have people live out in your bedroom, much less your closet. (They're wondering how on earth she hid him in her room these past 2 days.)

The trio probably did attempt to figure out who Reaper should hide out with. But Nia's family situation is .... not ideal. Felix's has his many relatives and a younger siblings. Also Ravinstill. So by process of elimination, it fell to Clemmie. Also, I don't think Reaper would have agreed to go with anyone else haha.

The next day, under the guise of a regular playdate - we get the trio + Reaper in the same area.

Stories need to be verified and the parents probably talk (ok maybe we exclude Nia's parents - things are a bit messy between the 2 at the moment and nobody really cares for Mr. Moss' opinion.)

For plot purposes - it takes place at the Ravinstill estate (where Felix's family lives and not where the President lives)

Just send him back. / Alone? / So? / That is a child!

Meanwhile Pres. Ravinstill just wanting to visit his favourite grandnephew, instead he comes across 4 children.

The man immediately zeroes in on Reaper who's dressed in a mish-mash of Capitol clothes (the Dovecotes bought some so he could blend in, and earlier Felix had lent some pre-Reaper being caught by Endymion) and District clothes

Pres. Ravinstill, clearly referring to Reaper: What do you have there, children? Felix: A smoothie?

Felix cannot keep a secret to save his life (sorry Reaper 😞) and knowing Pres. Ravinstill's thoughts about the Districts, this isn't going well.

As expected, the children are vehemently against Reaper being punished for being in the Capitol. They're pretty loud about it and the parents are like - let's check in on the children, the last time we didn't, they ended up in D11.

Instead of children squabbling, they get met with the sight of Pres. Ravinstill trying/failing to deal with the Reaper situation.

And the tail end of Clemmie being like, "But he's just a boy! Like us!"

Capitol kid logic is a bit different from Capitol adult logic. Also Clemmie (unknowingly) really channels Hector Dovecote here and it plays in her favour.

Pres. Ravinstill spirals. In his attempt to maybe scare her off from her line of thinking, he's like: Alright, you can be the one to ensure Reaper gets home safe since you're so insistent on it. (He also immediately forbids Felix/Nia from helping, just because he cannot risk Felix.) To Pres. Ravinstill's despair, Clemmie is like "Fine, I will!" and Endymion immediately says he's going for supervision.

The important thing is that it gets Reaper home! Safely. And had Endymion Dovecote not tagged along, Reaper's parents wouldn't have known what to make of his adventure.

(Reaper wants to know how Endymion knew where he lived, but then decided he didn't need to know. He has had enough excitement on this trip.)

[ftwdb]

Don't Say Go.

Chapter 14.

Summary: Soulmates find each other through what is known as The Pull. A sense within a persons body that their soulmate is within reach that guides them to find them. You find yourself following this Pull, guided by vague dreams of a man you can't quite see, until you collapse in the wild and are found by Troy, your soulmate, who has been following the same feeling toward you for days.

Once connected soulmates are able to share emotions through their bond, as well as being able to sense where the other is. But how this force works is very much a mystery still, it can vary from soulmate to soulmate, and just sometimes a connection too deep can lead twist a bond from something beautiful to, well...

Warnings: Dark themes, sexual content, violence, non-graphic description/implications of SA, child abuse and domestic violence. References to addiction. Unhealthy love/obsession/relationships. Soulmate AU. Eventual smut.

You were never very good at getting people gifts. What made it even harder was to get someone a gift during an uprising of the dead when you had also accidentally got them shot in the foot.

Troy walked beside you with his arm slung lazily over your shoulder as you neared Mike’s caravan. He was smirking and trying not to laugh out loud as you listed off ideas of how to make up for his lost toe.

“I don’t know why you’re worrying so much, I was the one who shot him.”

You rolled your eyes, refusing to be drawn into another argument over who bore the most responsiblity for the events that occurred a few days ago.

“Isn’t he your best friend? I just want him to like me-“

“He will like you.” Troy said confidently.

“How can you know that?” I frowned, unconvinced.

Troy gazed down at you with a lop-sided grin as you scowled.

“Because I like you.” He teased, pulling you closer to his side.

Since the night spent in your bunk Troy had become more outwardly affectionate toward you, not caring who saw the way you held his hand or how his arm would wind possessively around your waist. You had blushed at breakfast that morning when Gretchen had raised her eyebrows at the sight before winking at you across the canteen.

You mostly ignored the curious eyes and whispers from the others. Your growing relationship with your soulmate meant far more to you than gossip from a group of strangers. And if Troy didn’t care what people thought than neither did you.

Except, of course, for the people that mattered most in his life. You may have formed a sibling like attachment to Jake and Cooper always gave you a friendly nod whenever you made eye-contact but you still had Jeremiah and Mike to win over.

Troy didn’t understand your need to be liked, to be welcomed by those who were family by both blood and bond, but he indulged your desire to try with some amusement.

You reached the caravan where Mike and his family were staying, a large canopy was set up beside it giving them far more space than any other rancher. You supposed it was a perk of being a Trimbol and one of the founding fathers, or so Troy had explained.

He’d pointed out the Brown’s home further in the distance and explained that Russell lived with his wife whilst Phil McCarthy was more of a loner who remained at an outpost away from the ranch. You’d made a mental note to introduce yourself to the couple, apparently Mrs Brown loved to gossip so Troy had conveniently remembered some other duty he had to attend to whenever you suggested an appropriate time to visit.

Troy knocked none too gently on the caravan door, his arm still wrapped around you as it swung open to reveal Mrs Trimbol’s sour expression. You hesitated, not having expected to have to face Mike’s mother.

“Your son around?” Troy asked easily, “or has he run off somewhere?”

You tried to discreetly elbow him in the ribs as Mrs Trimbol’s mouth tightened into a thin line. She seemed to be avoiding looking at you.

“Troy,” she said tightly as a way of welcome, “he’s inside. Recovering.”

Troy rolled his eyes but the cocky grin never left his face.

You stood a little sheepishly, your feet fidgeting in the grass as you dropped your gaze. Troy must have sensed your discomfort, either through the connection you shared or your sudden tension. You felt something spike in your chest, a feeling that wasn’t your own. Annoyance? At Mike or at your less than warm welcome, you weren’t sure. These shared emotions between you were becoming more regular as you grew closer but were still confusing.

“We just came to wish him well, Mrs T.” Troy drawled. “But if Mike is too busy being a puss-“

“Alright, I’m here!”

Mike appeared over his mother’s shoulder, gently prying her from her defensive stance in the doorway as he hobbled from the steps leading inside and landed on the grass with a wince. He closed the door behind him before his mother could speak and eyed Troy with a wary eye.

“You’re lucky she thought you were a cute kid. If Gretch or I spoke to her like that she’d knock our heads off.”

Troy shrugged and snorted. “What do you mean were? I’m still cute.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. Troy had his moments but cute wasn’t exactly the word you’d use for him. The words you would use brought a slight blush to your cheeks which neither man noticed, thankfully.

You couldn’t help but notice how at ease Troy seemed around Mike compared to Jake. He seemed more relaxed, his smile genuine if teasing. You tucked the observation away for another time to consider.

“Mike,” you finally spoke, “I wanted to say how sorry I am for what happened. I… wasn’t myself. I didn’t know it was you chasing after me.”

Troy interjected before Mike could respond.

“I’ve already told her you’re good with what happened, but she insisted on apologising in person.”

Mike, without the gaze of his mother upon him, also seemed more relaxed even if you could tell he was struggling to stand at his full height without putting weight on his injured foot. It was as if he didn’t want to show weakness in front of Troy, which made sense you supposed. He was technically his superior within the militia.

Also you were sure there was some male pride involved in the whole interaction.

Mike ducked his head and offered a lazy smile. His hair was shaggy and his beard well overdue some maintenance.

“You know, I can help you with that.” You said gesturing to his hair as a sudden idea came to mind.

“You some kind of stylist, before?”

You shrugged, “Sort of, for a while.”

Pre-apocalypse you’d been a student working part time jobs to earn some money as you figured out what path you wanted to follow in life. You’d spent some time learning to cut and style hair before moving on to your next job whilst you procrastinated on choosing which subject you would commit to studying.

When you’d asked Troy about his school life he’d gone quiet before changing the subject. Perhaps getting to know Mike might help you learn a little more about Troy.

“I can’t make you look any worse. And I promise not to drop the scissors on your other toe.”

Both men laughed and the sound helped put you at ease.

“You know what, sure. It’s either you or my mother and if she had it her way she’d leave me as bald as Coop.”

You said your goodbyes and you walked away from the camp site with a spring in your step. Troy nudged you, giving you a sideways glance that clearly said told you without him have to speak.

“Do you feel better now?” He smiled.

“You know I do.” You smiled back.

And you did. Was this finally it? The lightness in your heart, was this the way you were supposed to feel with your soulmate? It felt good.

It was hard to think that you’d almost thought Troy would turn his back on you. You felt guilty, having doubted him. Especially since Troy had taken care of everything before he’d come back to you in the bunk, moving the body of the man you had… who had died… far from the ranch.

“What did you do with… it?” You asked the next day, unable to bring yourself to say the word “he”, to acknowledge the monster who had hurt you as human.

Troy had said nothing for a few moments as if weighing up whether to tell you the truth or not. You supposed you didn’t really care as long as you’d never have to set eyes upon that burned face again.

“Finished the job someone started on him.” Troy said eventually. “There wasn’t much left in the end.”

Finish the job? It took you a moment to realise…

“You burned…?”

No burial. No, people buried people. Not monsters.

You’d felt a tug in your chest and looked up to meet Troy’s eyes. He was watching you closely with that expression you hadn’t quite figured out how to read yet. You felt within you to the bond you shared but whatever he was feeling wasn’t strong enough for you to read at that moment.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

You had shaken your head, trying to keep your expression calm as you inwardly fought off the memories of hands all over your body, the smell of alcohol and fire and burning skin…

Troy stepped closer.

“Because you’re shaking,” he had told you.

You raised your hands slightly and realised he was right. Your body had begun to tremble, how had you not noticed?

Carefully, as if waiting for you to give him permission, Troy began to wrap an arm around you and pull you against his chest. You couldn’t help the way you collapsed against him. You felt as if you would cry at any moment but no tears would come.

His embrace grew steady and firm, but not tight enough that you felt trapped against him. He would have offered you comfort if there had been any to give.

“You can tell me, you know. Anything.”

You closed your eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat beneath your ear. Troy didn’t need you describe the horrors you’d been put through. Between everything that had been said already he could figure out the men he’d saved you from before were not the first to try and harm you.

“It was me,” you’d said quietly, almost hoping it had been too quiet for him to hear. “I burned him. Him and his father, while they slept…”

The words kept coming and Troy merely waited patiently as you confessed to your own monstrous act.

“I wanted them to feel it. All the pain and fear they inflicted on me.”

Troy made a sound low in his throat. You’d waited for him to recoil from you or begin asking questions, he simply held you until your trembling stopped and your breathing slowed back to a normal pace.

“Do you think I’m a terrible person?” You had whispered against his chest.

Troy did move away this time, but it had only been to look you in the eye.

“Never.”

You tried to believe him. You remembered his words before. How he understood having to do things that were necessary…

If only he could have found the words to tell you that what you’d done was a mercy compared to what he would do given the chance to get his hands on those men now. But you had taken justice into your own hands and he could only admire you for it.

Troy had been so afraid when he’d found you. Afraid you would die. Afraid you would leave. Afraid you would see him for who he really was and be just as revolted by him as everyone else in his life. His father turned a blind eye, his brother made excuses and his “friends” were either too scared to say anything or just relieved to have someone else willing to do the dirty work so they wouldn’t have to that they pretended not to see the darkest parts of him.

His mother had never hidden what she thought of him though. She could see the rot that had taken root in him as a child, she’d told him daily before she died how she wished she were strong enough to take him with her. She couldn’t leave Troy to be a burden on the world.

And then the world had changed, and Troy was no longer a burden or a thing to be frightened and ashamed of. Troy understood the world now.

And you, when he’d seen you wield that knife over Derek’s bloody throat he’d known everything he’d been through had been to lead him to you.

A mere few days had changed so much, but as Troy led you through the ranch he could finally believe that in his soulmate he had found the only person who could understand and accept him.

You allowed yourself to be led by Troy as he finally gave you a much overdue tour of the entire ranch. You scratched the heads of the cows and horses as they wandered the fields, were shown the fields they grew crops and Troy explained how they gathered power for electricity in the house. You didn’t walk all the way to Jake’s place, but Troy pointed it out and you waved to a distant figure who was sat atop the roof whom you assumed was his brother. He tolerated a whole thirty minutes talking to the Brown’s until they’d started talking wistfully about their wedding day - which apparently had taken place not long after The Pull had drawn them together.

Troy made and excuse for you to leave as soon as you were given pointed looks when Mrs Brown offered to show you her wedding dress.

You laughed as you walked the hill back to the main campsite as Troy looked horrified.

“I could be offended you know!” You mocked as he shot you a sideways look. “Perhaps I’ve always dreamed of being a bride!”

Troy groaned, “I’ve never seen the point to be honest. My father married twice and was just twice as miserable.”

You quietened at the mention of Jeremiah. You hadn’t seen nor heard from him since the night of, well, the incident.

Troy hadn’t brought him up either and you wondered if that was a good sign, or him simply avoiding a difficult conversation.

Your sudden shift in mood didn’t go unnoticed and Troy reached for your hand, pulling you against him.

“Hey I didn’t mean anything by that.”

You shook off the worry on your features and smiled, “I know. I was thinking about… it doesn’t matter.”

Troy squeezed at your hand gently.

“If it’s on your mind if matters.”

I took a deep breath.

“I was thinking about… your dad.”

A series of expressions crossed Troy’s face, from confusion to disgust.

You slapped playfully at his chest before your own expression grew more serious.

“I just meant I’m surprised he hasn’t had more to say about everything that’s happened. Have you spoken to him since…?”

Troy’s nod was slow and deliberate, as if buying some time before he’d have to answer any more questions. Your stomach drops.

“Not good, is it?”

Troy sighed.

“My old man’s a pain in the ass. You shouldn’t be worrying about him.”

How could you not? Jeremiah was head of the ranch and although the place wasn’t run like a dictatorship you knew he held a lot of influence over people.

“I don’t understand why he hates me.” You say flatly. When Troy remained silent you send him a sideways glance before speaking again. “That was very reassuring, thank you Troy.”

Blue eyes snap to yours and Troy frowns.

“What?”

You get caught between a sigh and a chuckle as Troy’s shoulders stiffen.

“Relax, I was just messing with you. Look we don’t have to talk about your dad, not today. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

You try to coax Troy out of his mood for a little longer but it’s clear there is something on his mind. Something he isn’t ready to share. You feel within you to the connection keeping you bound and find what feels like a wall…

You try to keep my worried expression off my face, but of course Troy can sense how you are feeling and he nudges you softly with his elbow.

"Hey, don't overthink it. You're here with me now. I'm not letting anything change that."

You try to smile and swallow down your concern. However Troy learning to keep a wall up between you was something that certainly caused you more worry.

[sadisticpussies]

He’s in Las Vegas, exasperatedly laboring through hour three of his eight hour shift as a bartender at the Herbs & Rye restaurant — his tolerance for the day had already exceeded its limit after an unfortunate encounter with a group of white collar men who’d made a complaint to his manager about his poor work ethic and his uncanny sarcasm.

His boss, Thomas, had pulled him to the side to quietly reprimand him, sternly reminding Shawn that he was on strike two and if he were to get another complaint from one more customer that his employment would be terminated. It’s not like he necessarily needed this job because just like the others, they’d been temporary; sufficing him just enough for food and for him to save enough so he can move onto the next town.

But he’s only been here for a week; barely managing to save enough to survive off of anything except for microwaveable tv dinners and canned ravioli due to the lackluster minimum wage. He couldn’t afford to lose this job so quickly, especially considering that he was planning on going to Tijuana and already had an itinerary full of mischief that required at least $1,000 to indulge in.

He’s fixing a customer another drink; Stacy, who’d stumbled in an hour earlier solemnly confessing to him about her recent discovery of her husband’s infidelity, she’d chugged down to full glasses Smirnoff gulping them down without a burning wince as she continuously divulged about her marital problems when he heard Thomas beckoning his name in attention.

“Spencer, how many times have I told you about the rules against personal calls while on the clock?” He was sauntering up to Shawn, irritation’s evident across his face as he points a finger at him. “You’re treading on a very thin line here,” He forewarns, much to Shawn’s confusion.

“Personal call?” He wasn’t expecting anyone to call; the only person who knows where he currently is is his mother and he knows that the retreat she had gone to didn’t allow cellphones of any kind for her to make a phone call to him.

Thomas wasn’t amused by Shawn’s confusion, his irritation only accrued as he rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb over his shoulder where the kitchen was. “It’s some guy saying he’s your father. Said he needed to talk to you. Make it quick.” He avers, narrowing his eyes at Shawn before turning away to attend to a customer who has his glass raised midair and calls out for a refill.

Shawn’s confusion heightens as he ponders on why his father was suddenly seeking contact with him. It’s been four years since he’s last seen him; the communication between then was minimal with it being mostly brief exchanges of Shawn assuring his father that yes he is alive and no he hadn’t done something outlandish like join a cult as his father often presumed.

It was never long before their conversations transitioned into arguments — his father’s disdain about Shawn’s abrupt decision to leave after high school instead of attending college or enrolling in the police academy and Shawn’s disdain about his father ruining their family by divorcing his mother was always the reason. They’d bicker; spewing accusations and hurtful insults at each other until one of them got too tired of arguing and would hang up.

His mother would often call to check in, inquiring about his health and safety, avid to hear about what new sites he’s seen in his travels. And like always she’d try to absolve the tension between him and his father, attempting to convince Shawn to seek out contact with him first and have an actual conversation (that didn’t include arguing) but her efforts were futile because Shawn was always haste to refuse, still too upset with his father to even think about reconciliation.

He already felt drained from today, dealing with Thomas and the restaurant full of rude and entitled customers he doesn’t think he has the energy to argue with his father. He assures Thomas of a quick return before sauntering off to the back to retrieve the phone. He picks it up, pressing one hand against his ear to shield the noisiness ricocheting from the front.

“Dad, whatever this is about I can’t deal with it right now. I’m at work—” He peers up, seeing Thomas impatiently tapping his finger against his watch as he mouthed hurry up. Shawn nods, turning away as he rolls his eyes in frustration. “I’ve gotta get back,”

“Shawn,”

“Dad—I have to go,” He avers, removing the phone from his ear and preparing to hang it back on its hook until he hears something that makes him halt. He brings the phone back up to his ear, exhaling a trembling breath. “W-What did you just say?”

He’d heard him faintly, only hearing the end of his father’s sentence but that’s all he needed to be immediately drawn back into the conversation. Gus had emanated from his father’s mouth, it was a name that had solemnly become unrecognizable to him over the span of these few years. Just like his father, Shawn had ceased much of the communication with Gus as well; only sending emails, postcards and letters to him twice every month to fill him in on the current adventures in his life.

The strain in their friendship wasn’t intentional. Shawn escaped from Santa Barbara the day after graduating hoping to find some semblance of meaning in his life. His mother had just left and Gus was scheduled to leave for college afterwards, Shawn felt like he didn’t have a reason to stay in the place that took everyone he loved away from him. He’s thought about returning back, but he relented and succumbed to his fears of facing Gus again; knowing that it wouldn’t be easy to reconcile after leaving him for so long.

He hates himself for leaving like that; abrupt and impulsively, without even saying goodbye to Gus. He shudders at to think about what Gus thinks of him — how angry and upset and hurt he probably was to wake up the next morning and hear from his father that Shawn had left.

He’s never been good at goodbyes, he hates them. But he knows Gus at least deserved that.

There’s a lump that thickens and expands in his throat, his hands shake as he clutches the phone. He’s trying to settle his nerves but the pounding in his ears is so loud that it’s hard to hear what his fathers saying. He didn’t need to hear much because after the words “Gus” and “accident” were mentioned, Shawn was already hanging up the phone and untangling the knot from the apron that was tied around his waist. His hands were shaking so much that he fumbled with the knot, cursing loudly in frustration as he pulled and tugged at it.

He hears the heavy gait of footsteps approaching behind him that’s accompanied by the shrilly timbre of Thomas’ voice, “It’s been five minutes now, you need to get out there and…where do you think you’re going?” He questions, perching his hands akimbo as he watched Shawn toss the apron aside then hurriedly retreat to the break room.

He returns seconds later, his helmet and jacket in hand.

Shawn’s mind feels skewed; he’s panicking, can barely focus on anything at the moment and there are tears gathering in the back of his pupils blurring his vision. “I uh, I have to go. My best friend, he’s been in an accident and I have to go see him.” He shrugs his arms through the jacket, patting the right pocket and digging inside to retrieve his keys.

“Go?” Thomas inquired in bewilderment; completely apathetic at Shawn’s earlier sentiments. “We’re short staffed tonight and we don’t have anyone to cover your shift. You can’t go!”

And if Shawn wasn’t stretched on time and wasn’t desperately trying to hurry up to Gus he would’ve vehemently spewed a few derogatory remarks at Thomas for his lack of consideration and human decency. But instead, he only brushes past Thomas as he makes his abrupt departure out of the back door.

…

He’s certain that he’s broken every road law known to man; making illegal passings through lanes, squeezing past rows of cars stuck in traffic and accelerating the motorcycle to a speed he didn’t even know it could reach as he reeved up the gas and sped down the highway. He arrives outside of the hospital a few hours later, hurriedly turning off the ignition and climbing off of the bike after finding an empty parking space.

He takes off in a sprint towards the front entrance inadvertently pushing past a man that’s hobbling on a pair of crutches — who curses loudly at Shawn when he nearly loses his balance and stumbles clumsily.

“Jackass!” The man scolded; the screeching of his crutches dragging across the tiled floors ricochets throughout the room.

He absentmindedly disregards the man’s reprimand as he ran towards the nurse’s station. The woman behind the desk is occupied on the phone, alternating between typing on the keyboard of her computer and filing patient reports. When she looks up at notices Shawn, she holds her finger up in the air and murmurs “one moment,” before continuing her conversation.

Shawn’s impatience immediately wears thin, her conversation has been going on too long and she’s yet to bother acknowledging him again. He’s tempted to interrupt her conversation and demand that she attend to his needs, but he purses his lips in a thinned frown to prevent himself from projecting his anger onto her and continued to (im)patiently wait. After what felt like an eternity, the nurse’s conversation ends and she’s putting the phone back on its hook and greeting him in welcome.

“Hello, sir. How may I help you?”

“I need to see someone who was admitted a few hours ago; his name is Burton Guster. He was in an accident and I have to see him.”

The nurse nods as her fingers type deftly onto the keyboard again. “He’s still getting looked over so you’ll have to wait,” She informs him before directing him towards the waiting area.

Shawn slumps into one of the rigid-cushioned chairs, with his leg bouncing and his teeth nervously biting at his nails, he stares at the round clock that’s hung decoratively on the alabaster colored walls, heeding at the hands as they ticked with each passing minute.

He’s trying to focus: his mind repeats a litany of he’s okay, to distract himself from the possibilities that awaited. Gus is okay because he had to be — because Shawn knows that the universe wouldn’t punish him so cruelly like this, it wouldn’t take his best friend from him in such a macabre way. It wouldn’t do this knowing that Shawn hasn’t had a chance to apologize yet.

No.

Gus is okay.

He wouldn’t accept any other fate.

…

His ass has started to get numb from sitting in the chair for so long and his impatience starts withering again. It’s been nearly two hours already and there has yet to be any developments regarding Gus status. Shawn’s been getting up and walking to the nurses station every fifteen minutes asking if Gus had been moved out of surgery and into a room yet but every time she only tells him that she’s only allowed to disclose that information to immediate family. He understands that it’s hospital protocol and whatnot but he’s becoming more and more peeved.

He’s offered some sense of relief when he looks towards the front entrance and sees Mr. and Mrs. Guster trekking through the doors. The same worry and panic that paralyzed him was written all over their countenances as well, Mrs. Guster was sobbing as she held tightly onto her husband’s arm.

They exchange a few words with the nurse and before he knows it, he’s seeing the door towards the back being buzzed open.

Shawn hurriedly clambers to his feet and approaches the Gusters.

“Mr. and Mrs. G!” They both halt at the exclamation of their names, turning around to see who was seeking their attention. There’s a look of aghast when they see Shawn standing athwart from them.

“Shawn?” Mrs. Guster asks, voice gruff and scratchy from all of the crying she’d done. She brings the wad of tissue that was in her other hand, up to her red nose and dabs away the snot that spilled. “What are you doing here?”

He winces at the incredulity behind her words. It saddens him knowing that his parents are this surprised that he showed up. He knows he hasn’t been around much these past few years but surely they had to know that something as vital as this was going to incite haste Shawn’s return. But with the way they’re looking so perplexed at him, like he’s a stranger, instead of their son’s childhood best friend that they’ve known for years says otherwise.

(He’d dwell on this heartbreaking realization later. He had to make sure Gus was okay first.)

“My dad called and told me what happened. I came to see him. Did anyone tell you anything? Is-Is he okay?”

They share a brief look like they’re wary of disclosing the information to him. It fucking hurts that he’s suddenly become this outsider to them as if he wasn’t an intricate part of Gus’ life. He did leave but why did they act as if his existence hadn’t meant anything to them or Gus?

“He’s stable and awake,” Mr. Guster finally admits, thankfully easing Shawn’s concerns. “They said that it was okay to go see him,”

He nods, giving them a pleading look that begged them to allow him to accompany them to the back. Because he doesn’t know how much longer he can sit here waiting, and although he knows that they’ve assured him that Gus was safe, Shawn wouldn’t be fully content until he actually saw Gus and could confirm it himself.

Mr. Guster sighs, looking down at his wife before averting his eyes back onto Shawn. “You’re welcome to come back if you’d like.”

And that’s all he needed to hear before he’s following behind them as they lead the way down the corridor to Gus’ room.

Mrs. Guster approaches first, bringing her hand up midair and rapting a gentle knock against the door. A few seconds pass by before they hear a rasped, “Come in,” that she her pulling at the handle and swinging the door open.

Albeit relief calms him when he actually sees Gus, Shawn could also feel his throat baring and his eyes watering at the sight of Gus. It’s been four years and six months since he’s seen him; he still looked the same but his face has chiseled and he’s grown into his features. He’s got more hair since the last time Shawn’s seen him; hair that’s styled in a hightop boxed coif. Shawn sidestepped around Mrs. Guster and gauges a fuller view at Gus — he’s sprawled out on the small hospital bed, his legs are dangling off of the edge swallowing up the last inch of space that’s available. He’s got a thin wool blanket swathed across his lap, his arms wrapped in a cast that’s balanced on a small pillow that’s tucked underneath for leverage.

Gus is laid with his eyes fluttered close, nearly half dazed from the medication they fed him. Upon hearing the knocking and his mother’s loud sob of relief, he opens them, blinking rapidly trying to clear his fogged vision. He smiles sheepishly at his parents, but then his eyes wander behind them at Shawn and his smile is substituted for a moue, causing Shawn to recoil away slightly.

He lowers his eyes, abashed and chagrined, condemning himself for foolishly thinking Gus would be elated at his return.

“Shawn?” And it’s so pathetic but his breath hitches when he hears his name fall off of Gus’ lips, at the way he could practically hear the emotion through his tenor as he called out to him. It’s surprisingly tender and soft and Shawn can’t remember the last time he’s ever heard such affection in someone’s voice.

Maybe he hadn’t completely ruined things between them like he assumed.

He remains stood off to the side as the Guster’s bombarded their son with questions, inquiring about the accident and assessing his wounds. Gus repeatedly assured them that he was fine, stating that it was an accident that occurred after another car abruptly drove out into traffic. Shawn smiled adoringly as he watched as Gus’ mother attentively adjusted Gus’ pillows and maneuvered around the small room fixing things.

“Mom, I’m okay,” Gus reiterated for the fifth time that day after his mother tried to buzz a nurse in when Gus placed too much weight on his arm and yelped out in pain when he felt the throbbing pain shooting up his arm.

“It certainly didn’t sound like you’re okay!” She laments, frowning as her finger hovered over the big, red button, contemplating if she should defy against her son’s wishes and call for the nurse to look over him regardless of his asks.

“I just moved too quick that’s all. I promise.” She looked at him disbelieving, knowing that he was probably only saying that to alleviate her worries. Nonetheless, she conceded and had followed behind her husband when he led them out of the room to grab some coffee from the cafeteria.

When the Guster’s leave, it’s just him and Gus alone. Shawn’s still standing hovered by the doorway with his hands shoved inside the front pockets of his jeans and his eyes shyly meets Gus’. He wants to speak, to go over and throw his arms around Gus and tell him that he’s glad he’s okay, but he feels like his feet are cemented to the ground and his tongue feels so thick in his mouth that it causes his throat to dry and he’s suddenly struggling to form a coherent sentence.

It’s Gus that finally breaks the silence between them. He’s shifting on the bed again, trying to maneuver around to a more comfortable laying position and ends up inadvertently hitting his arm against the bed’s railing that has him wincing in pain again.

“I’m good,” He’s haste to assure Shawn whose eyes widened in worry and feet managed to miraculously find their strength to move as he was already at Gus’ bedside, reaching for his arm to help him. His hands quickly retract at Gus’ words and are being shoved back into his pockets again. Silence lingers between them again only briefly before Gus begins speaking again. “How’d you find out?” He murmurs softly in curiosity.

“My dad,”

Gus eyebrows furrow in an indiscernible gesture. He reaches forward, grabbing at the small cup full of ice water. “Right. Well, you didn’t have to come all the way back here. I’m sure you’re eager to go back to Washington or wherever you’re at now.” There’s no hostility or malice embedded in Gus’ words. It’s just a melancholic lilt that Shawn recognizes that has him guilt ridden and apologetic. His absence has made Gus think that he’s stopped caring for/about him when that was furthest from the truth.

“Gus—” He begins, but Gus is already interrupting him rebutting otherwise.

“It’s fine, Shawn. I’m okay. It’s just a broken arm, nothing serious.”

At this, Shawn guffaws in frustration because how could Gus trivialize this? He doesn’t know the sheer terror Shawn felt when he heard about the accident, how he was afraid that he would lose him and now here Gus was just brushing everything off in nonchalance and trying to push him away. And he tries not to but he does get angry with Gus, because how could he truly think that Shawn didn’t care about him?

“No, it’s not okay. I came here because I was worried about you, Gus. I was scared that you’d—” He shakes his head, swallowing down the remainder of that sentence. It was too painful to think let alone vocalize aloud. “I know that I haven’t been here but that doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you,”

He sees Gus’ mouth purse and his eyebrows furrow, like he’s contemplating on whether he actually believes Shawn’s words. He’s feeling defeated, already self deprecating at how he’d managed to single-handedly ruined the only stable relationship in his life.

He wouldn’t be Shawn if he didn’t fuck up good things.

But then, Gus is looking at him and his eyes soften as he murmurs, “Thanks for coming,”

…

Shawn stays in Santa Barbara for the rest of the week. He stays in a motel downtown, refusing his father’s offer to stay at home instead. That was one relationship he wasn’t as avid to reconcile with just yet, there was still unresolved issues that resided between them, issues that he held his father solely responsible for that he wasn’t ready to address.

He was here for Gus and wanted to focus on that not any other issues.

The first day, they’d caught up more with each other, telling the other everything that wasn’t mentioned in their emails or letters. It was bittersweet listening to Gus rave about his college experience, hearing about all the friends he’s made, all the things he’s done.

Shawn felt sad that he hadn’t been there with Gus to experience those things with. He remembers in middle school, they’d talk about all the parties they would go to whenever they got to college, how they’d be roommates (because they knew no one else could handle living either of them; Gus was too OCD and Shawn was messy and snored loudly, or at least that’s what he’s heard from Gus.) then graduate and get married and live next door to each other.

At the time of his departure, he didn’t consider his leaving as a blunder in their plan. He’d been too focused on running away from his problems to even think about that.

Gus then told him about a new job that he recently started as a pharmaceutical salesman that apparently paid more than all of Shawn’s minimum wage jobs combined. It paid enough for Gus to rent one of those luxury apartments with a gym and a pool that Shawn’s always wanted.

He was happy for Gus, really.

He was also really fucking sad that he missed out on so much.

On the second day, they spent the entire day playing board and card games — apparently time at college gave Gus enough time to learn how to gamble because he managed to beat Shawn in poker twice but Shawn redeemed himself in Monopoly and Candyland.

Shawn snuck in some Chinese takeout that they secretly ravished after Gus complained about the hospital food. The nurse stumbled in upon their slaughter and reprimanded them for it much to their amusement. Afterwards, they watched reruns of Three Stooges and it was so ridiculous and overly cartoonish in its comedy but they laughed at every single joke.

Gus ended up succumbing to his exhaustion a little later in the night, laying with his head tucked on the pillow as he breathed softly through his parted lips. Shawn looked over at Gus and felt his heart clench as he inwardly pondered how he could ever reconcile with the fact that he’d willingly gone four years without his best friend, without the person he cared for the most in the entire world.

It’s a question he thinks he’ll never be able to answer.

On the third day, things between them become familiar and normal. It starts to feel like they’re Shawn and Gus again as a whole not as separates anymore and Shawn doesn’t think he’s ever been happier than he is right now.

On the fourth day is when Shawn realizes a few things. They’re in Gus’ room again and he’s finally being discharged after being cooped up in the fight fitted room and barely surviving off of watered down meatloaf and stale bread for nearly a week. Shawn’s in the room, skimming through a magazine waiting for Gus to finished getting dressed so that they could go out into the front while they waited for his parents, when he hears the bathroom door being pulled open.

“Shawn?” He looks up to see Gus’ head poked out of the door, his expression flushed as his chest heaved. “I need your help. I’m trying to finish getting ready but this damn cast makes everything harder.”

Shawn set the magazine down as he clambered to his feet. “Are you sure you want my help because you wouldn’t even take off your shirt in front of me when we used to go swimming,” He teases lightheartedly, smiling at the flustered expression in Gus’ face as he says this.

“That was different. I was younger and still getting used to my developing body. Just come in here!” He avers, grabbing Shawn’s arm and tugging him into the bathroom as he closes the door behind them.

It’s not like he was staring per se, but he’d certainly taken heed at Gus body. He was standing in the middle of the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that complimented him fittingly, the material snug around his hips. He’d apparently started working out during some time in between his adolescence and early adulthood because Gus now had abs that were chiseled and taut; and when he turned around to pick up his shirt that had fallen to the floor, Shawn could see the muscles in his back flex as he moved.

His eyes appreciatively gauge at Gus’ seemingly fit physique wondering when the hell did that happen.

Shawn hurriedly averts his eyes, managing to look away just before Gus turns back around to face him. “I thought it wouldn’t be so bad with a broken arm but this fucking sucks,” He complains, extending the shirt out to Shawn who hikes up the hem and shimmies it over Gus’ head, tugging it down and over his torso.

He ignores the flutter in his stomach when his fingers brush over Gus’ stomach.

“Do you need me to stay over and help you for a while?” He offers, his mind only briefly wanders back on his job knowing that he would probably be unemployed by the time he returns which meant that Tijuana was going to be postponed for the time being but staying with Gus was worth it.

Gus smiles sheepishly, looking over at Shawn. “Thanks, but I know you’re probably ready to go back to Las Vegas.”

Shawn pulls the shirt all the way down over Gus’ abdomen, frowning a bit at his words. “No, I mean I’m not in a rush to go back. I can stay, I want to stay here for you if you need me.”

Please need me.

“Are you planning on seeing your dad?” Gus posits in curiosity, seemingly subverting the topic of conversation so quickly that it has Shawn wondering why Gus was so hesitant in letting him stay over. He knows that it’s still going to take some time to fully get all of Gus’ trust back but he thought that these past few days were showing some progress.

“Uh, no. I think it’s best if we stay away from each other for the time being.”

“It’s been four years. How much longer do you need?” Gus rebuttals; and okay, maybe he’s right but his relationship with his father was complicated and definitely something that he didn’t want to talk or think about right now.

Gus sighs, “The only reason I ask is because I’ve seen him around Shawn. As much as you think he doesn’t like you, he seems pretty miserable to me that you’re gone.”

Shawn guffaws softly at this, “Yeah, right.” He murmurs disbelieving, reminiscing on the fight they’d had the night before he left home where Henry explicitly said that he couldn’t wait until Shawn left because then he wouldn’t have to deal with the headache of him being around anymore. “He doesn’t miss me, Gus. He’s glad that I’m gone, trust me.”

Gus only shakes his head before eventually dropping the conversation, knowing that it was futile in trying to convince Shawn of otherwise. “Alright…this might be a little more complicated and uncomfortable,” He surmises, nudging his chin outwardly towards the pair of sweatpants that his mother had packed for him.

Shawn grabbed the sweatpants and stood in front of Gus. He extended the sweatpants out, making it easy for Gus to slide a leg in each pant leg. Gus nearly tumbles and instinctively reaches a hand out, resting it onto Shawn’s waist to anchor his fall. “Sorry,” Gus murmurs, fitting his other leg into the pant leg.

Shawn tugged at the waistband, pulling it further up Gus’ legs when he’s gotten them both all the way in the sweats. His fingers inadvertently brush against Gus’ cock when he’s adjusting the sweatpants around his waist and he feels his face immediately blush in a deep crimson color. He gauges a quick look up at Gus, peeking at him underneath the wisps of his eyelashes — Gus is looking up at the ceiling, biting on his lower lip as he avoided Shawn’s gaze.

“Sorry, I was—”

“No it’s—”

“—I wasn’t trying to—”

“—Shawn��”

“Gus!” Both Shawn and Gus pause at the shrilly shriek of someone calling out his name. They exchange confused looks until realization dawns upon Gus who’s now using his freehand to roughly pull his pants up the remainder of the way. He’s reaching for the doorknob and is making a haste egress seconds later, walking out to greet the approaching woman.

Shawn follows behind Gus out of the bathroom, barely making it halfway into the room before he’s blindsided with the sight of Gus and a woman kissing vehemently in the middle of the room. Gus has his arm around her waist while she’s got her hands on his face, pulling him closer as their kisses became more feverish. “What are you doing here?!” Gus asks, his sentences barely coherent between the woman’s kisses.

“You didn’t think I was going to not come see you, did you?!” She mutters, pecking his lips thrice before eventually pulling away to look him over. “Aw, my poor baby,” She coos, brushing her thumb over his cheek as he leans into her touch.

Shawn stood there quietly watching their embrace. Throughout the entire duration of the past few days, Gus has never once mentioned having a girlfriend or dating anyone. So, it’s a little surprising to see him with someone like this, holding and kissing her so affectionately. He harrumphed softly, capturing their attention because they’d gotten so enraptured in each other that they nearly forgot about his presence.

The woman peers over Gus’ shoulder and looks at Shawn. She smiles, wide and toothy, bringing her hand mid-air as she gestures a wave. “Hi, I’m Mira!”

The first impression of her is that she’s unnecessarily cheery (he knows he sounds like a grinch saying this, but how can someone be this enthusiastic all of the time even he has his limits and often broods to balance it all out.)

Shawn waves back, thinning his lips into a feeble smile. “Shawn,” His eyes linger downward to Gus’ hand as it descends to her lower backside. She giggles, playfully nudging at his shoulder before shifting her attention back into Shawn.

“Shawn! Do you want to see the ring my pookiebear Gus got for me?” She gasps, already making her way over towards him much against Gus’ dismay as he reaches for her to attempt to stop her with hushed exclaims of ‘no, no, no, Mira!’ but she maneuvers out of his reach and saunters up to Shawn, holding her hand up in the air and displaying a small diamond ring that’s decorating her finger. “He got it for me after the wedding. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Shawn looks up at Gus who gives him an apologetic smile and only shrugs in response.

His mind couldn’t even begin to fathom the fact that Gus is married. Not only did he neglect to mention the fact that he’d been dating, but that he liked the woman enough to marry her as well at a wedding that he didn’t receive an invitation to or have any knowledge about. Or the painful realization of Gus apparently not wanting Shawn to know about it either from the way he tried to stop Mira from telling him about it.

Shawn couldn’t believe that this is what their friendship looked like now; hidden secrets and minimal communication between them.

If you would’ve told younger Shawn that he would end up losing Gus as a friend when they’re older, he would laughed in your face at the ridiculous absurdity of that comment. Adult Shawn isn’t laughing, he’s heartbroken and upset. He swallows the thick lump that’s stuck in his throat, nodding his head as she masqueraded his heartbreak behind a false smile.

“Yeah, it’s, it’s really great.”

Mira giggles again before practically skipping her way back over to Gus, “Are you almost ready to go? I told your mom we’d go by the house for dinner tonight since she let me pick you up instead,”

He nods, “Yeah. I just have to sign a few discharge papers first.”

Mira nodded as she grabbed Gus’ duffle bag and slung the straps over her shoulder. “I’ll go take this to the car,” She informs him, pressing one last kiss on his lips before departing from the room.

When she’s gone, Gus turns to Shawn. “Sorry about Mira, I know she can be a little eccentric and an acquired taste to some people,”

That’s one way to put it. Shawn ruminates haughtily. “She seems nice. Where’d you two meet?”

“In Mexico last year. I was on spring break; me and a couple of friends took a trip down there for a few days. I met her at a bar, we got drunk and next thing I know were at a chapel with a donkey as my best man.”

“Wow. That sounds very…unlike you,” Shawn laments and Gus frowns a bit at this furrowing his brows. He knows he can’t argue against it because he knows Shawn’s right; Gus wasn’t as adventurous and spontaneous enough to do something like elope with some woman he barely knows. That wasn’t his Gus.

“Yeah, well.”

“And I’m assuming that your parents don’t know either? Because knowing your mother she’d probably have a heart attack if she found out that you eloped instead of having a traditional wedding,”

At this, Gus only smacks his teeth instead of answering with a verbal response which tells Shawn that he’s right. “Thanks for visiting and for staying here with me. I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you around, Shawn.”

…

It’s been two days since he’s last seen Gus. He’s been trying to give him time to settle in after the accident before going to confront him but Shawn had grown exasperated of waiting.

He needed to talk to Gus now, before it’s too late to salvage what’s left of their tainted relationship. He doesn’t know Gus’ new address to his apartment but he remembers Mira mentioning them staying at Gus’ parents house so he chances that as where he was in hopes that it would be true.

He drives through the city, making his way to his childhood neighborhood. He peers over at his house and notices his dad’s truck parked in the driveway, he looks away and drives up to the Guster’s house instead, parking his motorcycle on the side as he cut off the engine. He takes off the helmet and sets it on the rest before making his way up the driveway. Reaching the front porch, he brings his hand up and knocks on the door then stands there waiting patiently for someone to answer.

He’s standing there for a few moments before he finally hears the sound of the door unlocking. He’s relieved to see that it’s Gus who answers the door, but confusion stretches across Gus’ features when he sees Shawn standing there. Nonetheless, he pulls the door open and steps aside allowing Shawn entrance.

“I thought you would’ve been back in Vegas by now,”

Shawn shakes his head as he walks into the living room. He stands there waiting and watching as Gus locked the door then followed behind him. “No, still here. I came by because,” He shakes his head, sighing softly, “we gotta talk man. Everything’s weird and wrong between us.”

Gus folded his arms across his chest, “What do you mean?”

He wants to scream at Gus’ blatant obliviousness because how couldn’t he feel them drifting further apart? Was Shawn the only one who missed the closeness between them? Had his absence inadvertently pushed Gus away and into the arms of Mira instead, where she’s been acting as a temporary replacement in his life? All of his emotions are scattered around and has him beginning to panic. Did Gus really not care that they weren’t best friends anymore?

Running his hands through his hair, Shawn emanates a deep suspire. “I mean this, us!” He gestures a hand between them, continuing with his spiel. “It’s like I want to try to rekindle things with us but you’re pushing me away. We don’t talk. We don’t hang out, you didn’t even want me to know that you were married! I just don’t get how we went from best friends to now being strangers but I hate it because I miss you, Gus.”

“We aren’t strangers, people just change, Shawn.” He doesn’t know how many times he can keep hearing this. This trivialization that Gus is doing is infuriating him profusely. “And we aren’t as close as we were because you decided to leave. It’s kinda what you do. So, excuse me if I’m a little reluctant to let you back into my life,” Gus laments with a halfhearted shrug, that has Shawn’s heart closing in on itself.

Gus’ feelings were fair but couldn’t he see that Shawn was at least trying?

“I’m trying—”

“You don’t need to Shawn. It’s pointless. You’ll be gone again probably for longer next time and we’ll just be right back where we started.”

Shawn blinks, a little hurt by Gus’ apropos. “So that’s it? You don’t even want to try?”

Gus sighs, lowering his eyes as he shakes his head. “Shawn… Mira’s coming over any second now and—”

“I don’t care about Mira! I care about you and us,”

Gus scoffs, rolling his eyes at Shawn’s sentiments. “If you cared you wouldn’t have left me for four years! It took me being in a hospital to get you back here! And now you’re what? Trying to make up for abandoning me, that’s so like you.” His words are venomous as they emanate from his mouth and Shawn’s taken aback by the visceral haughtiness of it. They’ve argued before but it’s never been to this extent, never this real and scary.

“I abandoned you? You were abandoning me first! You couldn’t wait to leave here and go to college to meet all your new friends,” Shawn rebuttals, unable to contain the emotions that’s been stewing inside of him.

Prior to his leaving, he remembers the solemn feeling he felt when he would hear Gus raving about college, how excited he was to meet new people. All Shawn could think about was how easily his existence was going to be erased from Gus’ life the moment he met new people, how he and Santa Barbara would become a distant memory as he progressed into this new stage in his life.

Sure, it would only have been a few hours away, but he and Gus had never been separated before and his worries had gotten the better of him so he left because of his fear of losing Gus and because he’d already lost his mother.

“Don’t do that. Because I was only going a few hours away, you left the state! You didn’t even say goodbye you just left me Shawn! And you didn’t even have the decency of calling for a year afterwards.”

Shawn lowers his eyes, abashed. “It was too hard. I didn’t — I couldn’t—”

Gus throws his hand in the air in defeat, baffled by Shawn’s capability of turning this situation around and perceiving it like he was the one that got left instead of Gus. It’s always been this back and forth but Gus had grown tired of it; of sheltering his emotions when it came to Shawn.

“It couldn’t have possibly been that hard because you stayed away for four years,”

“You think it was easy being away from you?” Shawn accosts incredulously.

There’s no way Gus could even begin to fathom how hard it’s been, how much it’s killed him not being around. None of this has been easy, especially not now standing here and listening to Gus express his feelings of abandonment after he left. He wanted to make things right or at least try but Gus was adamant in his stubbornness, setting these walls that has Shawn kept at a distance.

His throat’s clicking and he can feel his pupils welding with solemn tears again. “I wanted to come back to you but I’ve been afraid of this, of you pushing me away. I don’t know what to do to prove to you how fucking sorry I am but I am, Gus. Please. I can’t deal with you hating me like this,” He begs so pathetic and desperate that Shawn barely recognizes his own voice.

“I don’t hate you, Shawn,” Gus clarifies; and for a brief moment, Shawn thinks that maybe they’ll be okay, that their friendship hadn’t completely demised like he assumed. But then, “I just don’t trust you anymore and I can’t have someone in my life that I can’t trust.” And he feels his heart plummeting to his feet as defeat and despair mulls over him.

…

On Saturday, he returns to Vegas.

He has to beg Thomas for his job back, picking up double shifts for the next two weeks to make up for walking out. He doesn’t go to Tijuana but instead drives down to Texas with a few guys he met at the restaurant who were heading there for a festival.

[irondad-defensesquad]

Take all your chances while you can

Fandom: MCU

Rating: G

Relationships: Tony & Peter

Characters: Tony Stark, Peter Parker; MINOR - Morgan Stark, Happy Hogan

Summary: Morgan is asking him to read her a story, so Tony checks her bookshelf, noticing there aren’t only regular books, but hand-made ones as well. Curious, Tony takes one of them…

“Irondad and Spiderson”.

Tony feels something in his head. Like a spark. A lightbulb that flickers.

--

Since coming back, Tony has always felt something is missing.

Word count: 1.500

AO3

A/N: Yeah, it's an idea I posted here earlier. It turned out to be way shorter than I imagined.

Disclaimer - I did not see No Way Home and I refuse to. DO NOT INSIST.

TRIGGER WARNINGS - past character death, canonical character death, and grief/mourning

DO NOT SHIP TONY AND PETER. P/ROSHIP DNI.

--

He’s getting by.

After spending such a long time in the hospital, battling against death yet again, Tony Stark is back home with his family. He was in a coma for most of the past months, unfortunately missing his daughter’s birthday. She didn’t mind and instead they made a super special birthday party when he came home. It was very fun.

If not for one thing missing.

No, someone.

Tony can’t tell how he knows that someone is gone. When he invited people, he knew there was one that he wanted them to attend the most. He knew there was someone he’s been quite literally dying to see again.

And yet he has no idea.

Regardless, Tony lives by.

Until one night…

Morgan is asking him to read her a story, so Tony checks her bookshelf, noticing there aren’t only regular books, but hand-made ones as well. Curious, Tony takes one of them…

“Irondad and Spiderson”.

Tony feels something in his head. Like a spark. A lightbulb that flickers.

It’s him, as Iron Man, flying while the… “Spiderson” is shooting webs next to him.

“Daddy?” Morgan calls him.

He stares at the cover intensely.

Only for him to realize that this is probably a character Morgan created.

“Oh, I just found this comic of yours,” Tony smiles, trying to ignore the spark inside him. “Irondad and Spiderson.”

Except Morgan frowns as well.

“I didn't draw that,” she says.

The spark grows bigger.

“Wh… What do you mean?” Tony questions. This doesn’t make sense. “It has your name in it, see?”

Even as he gestures at it, Morgan only shakes her head with conviction.

“Nope. Never saw that in my life.” Although saying it kind of dramatically, she’s very serious.

Tony opens the comic, the first page introducing Iron Man and…

Spider-Man.

“Your friendly neighborhood hero that always saves the day. But he gets in a lot of trouble, so Iron Man has to take care of him. The two grow closer and they become like a dad and his son.”

Tony didn’t realize he said that out loud.

“Read it! Read it!” Morgan says excitedly, maybe enjoying the premise.

Despite the millions of questions in his head, Tony clears his throat and begins.

Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, is a regular teenager who lives with his Aunt May. He was bitten by a radioactive spider that gave him spider powers. One day, all of a sudden, Tony Stark arrives at his home to offer him to fight by his side, since he sees great potential in him. Their first fight is against… Captain America. They didn’t win, but Tony wants to keep in contact with Peter. The kid begs him to be an Avenger, so much that he messes up a lot and he loses his suit. Then, Peter proves himself to be a true hero by fighting a super villain named The Vulture with nothing but his homemade resources. And he also proves to be humble when he declines becoming an Avenger when Tony offers him. Despite this, Peter and Tony remain in contact, and might even grow closer beyond the superhero life.

The comic ends there.

“I liked it!” Morgan says.

Tony, he…

He…

“Daddy, are you crying?”

Is he?

He only realizes that when a tear falls on the comic.

“Oh,” Tony dries his eyes, except more tears keep coming. “I- I don’t know why I’m–”

Regardless, Morgan has scooted closer to him to wrap her small arms around his neck.

“It’s okay,” she whispers. “It’s gonna be okay.”

The comic falls from his hand, landing on the floor.

Tony is shaking so much.

Why?

Why is he?

Why does this emptiness hurt ?

He finds out there are more Irondad and Spiderson editions Morgan made. Quite a few.

They’re filled both with action-filled plots and slice of life moments. Like Peter and Tony watching movies together. Going to the lab to update their suits. Spending time with the bots. Times when Peter nonchalantly dismisses his wounds so he doesn’t worry Tony.

All of these comics, they…

They’re so familiar .

Somehow.

Because he knows Morgan wouldn’t come up with such… specific stories involving her dad. Sure, his daughter is extremely creative, as most children are. But there’s also the fact Morgan doesn’t recall drawing these comics in the first place. Pepper doesn’t remember seeing her making them, either.

Something is wrong about all this.

It’s like Tony is being haunted by a ghost. A ghost named Peter Parker.

A rather familiar sensation, too.

He even checks his files, just in case. But there’s… nothing. Like a great portion has been removed without notice. F.R.I.D.A.Y didn’t detect any anomaly that could’ve sniped them.

He only reaches more dead ends, no matter how hard he tries.

It doesn’t make sense. Why can’t Morgan remember? Why can’t Tony remember?

Why–

His phone is vibrating in his pocket.

Happy.

Tony hasn’t heard from him in a while, since the party.

“Oh, hey,” he picks it up. “Were you taking another vacation from me?”

Happy laughs. “I wish.”

“Hey,” Tony pretends to be offended.

“No, really… a lot has been going on.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy taking care of this kid.”

Tony frowns. “Kid? You have a kid?”

“No, not that kind of kid, Tony.”

“Then what kind of kid?”

“He’s… someone’s nephew. I knew this woman named May, who unfortunately… passed away recently. She was the one who raised this kid, and he doesn’t have any family left, so I’m looking after him instead.”

Tony’s inner lightbulb flickers again.

May.

Aunt May.

Who has a nephew…!

“Happy,” Tony says seriously, “what’s the kid’s name?”

“Oh, his name is Peter. Why?”

“His name is Peter Parker?”

“Yes, Tony. Do you know him?”

He stares at Morgan’s comic in his hand, staring most specifically at the panel of Peter and Tony’s first meeting.

“Is he there with you?” Tony asks.

“Wh- yes, he is.”

“Okay. I’ll be there in five.”

“Wait, Tony–”

He hangs up immediately, leaving the comics and questions behind for his loyal Iron Man suit. He makes sure to text Pepper to let her know where he’s going.

Indeed, he arrives in five minutes at Happy’s apartment. Tony barely gives him any mind, instead looking for the kid.

“Where is he?” He demands.

“Tony, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on,” Happy stops him. “Do you know Peter?”

“I think… I do.”

Seeing the pain in his tone and his eyes, Happy’s expression softens.

“Just… go easy on him. He’s in a rough shape. After everything that’s happened to him…”

Maybe that has to do with why everything is wrong. Why everything seems empty.

Happy is guiding him to a room with a closed door, not before he knocks on it.

“Peter?” He calls. “Someone wants to see you.”

They both wait.

Eventually, they hear slow steps coming to the door.

And it opens…!

Revealing a teenager whose curls are completely messy, his brown eyes are exhausted and heavy, and he looks… sick. As in, mentally sick.

Still, Tony can tell the kid also has a lightbulb in him since he seems to brighten up with his presence.

“M-Mr. Stark,” Peter says with emotion .

Peter knows Tony.

He knows .

He even looks like he’s going to cry at any moment.

But…

Instead, he forces a smile and offers a hand to shake.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Peter says.

Tony stares at his hand.

Then at his face.

Peter looks broken.

So…

Tony hugs him.

As tight as he can.

“Mr. Stark?!” Peter blurts out.

Hugging him…

Is familiar, too.

It’s warm and precious.

It’s warm like all the hot chocolates they drank together. Like the laughter they shared during movie nights. Like the moments of comfort after bad days and harsh battles. Like their first hug in five years.

Tony sniffs.

“I remember, Peter,” he whispers. “I remember you.”

The kid freezes.

“Y-You… remember me?” Peter’s voice is tiny and watery.

“I do.”

Peter loses it.

He’s crying like never before. Like he has held this inside him for too long.

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” Tony says, despite not knowing what happened for his kid to be in such a state. “I should’ve been there for you.”

“I-I-I’m sorry,” Peter sobs. “I’m so sorry, I’m…”

“Shhh…” Tony rubs his back. “I’ve got you, Pete.”

They refuse to let each other go.

“I m-missed you,” Peter says.

“I missed you, too…” Tony pauses dramatically “... my Spiderson.”

Peter snorts. “What?”

“What?”

“That’s so dumb,” Peter giggles.

“I know you like it.”

He only faces Peter again to see him smile.

“Yeah,” the teen sniffs, his face a wet mess.

Tony smiles back, content.

He found him.

He found his lost son.

Now, whatever happened, he’s not sure how they’re going to deal with it now. What he’s sure of, is that he’s taking care of his kid again.

Like Irondad once did.

[nanamismoonchild]

hi i would like to request something 😄 could you write about the reader having toxic parents so jimin comforts her like he’s always holding her hand or caressing her cheek and he speaks to her very softly oh and also gentle kisses? and one day the members asks him why he’s acting this way towards her and you can imagine the rest<33

parentification

pairing: bf!jimin x gf!reader (established relationship au)

wc: 1.2k

warnings: being parentified, ungrateful sister and parents, basically the family ain't and will never be shit (maybe), cursing

a/n: im gonna ignore that this is all the way from february, and simply present this and run away. please enjoy :D

Jimin was heated. He had watched you have a full on argument with your parents about whether or not you needed to pay rent for an apartment your little sister was on the verge of getting kicked out of. 

Their logic was: 

Your boyfriend was mega rich.  

That was it.  That was all they had to say.  It didn’t matter how many times you told them that you were responsible for yourself and rarely asked Jimin for any help. It didn’t matter how many times you told them that you were already paying for college and all the expenses that came with that. Your only saving grace was living with Jimin that helped alleviate your own burdens.  

Nothing mattered except your sister’s rent which she was already four months behind on. Why the landlord let her stay there for that long is beyond both you and Jimin. That was almost two thousand dollars they wanted from you, and you had no plans on giving it. 

You had already paid the time and patience when you were younger, having to hustle to pay the light bill and buy groceries so you and she wouldn’t starve to death. You had barely managed to go to your prom had it not been for your school librarian taking pity and paying for your dress and dues.

So no, you wouldn’t sacrifice anything now. 

Did it hurt to have to tell your sheltered sister no? Of course.

Tears streamed down your face as you remembered how your sister had practically called you selfish and dishonorable. Refusing to admit she was the one who needed to take responsibility for her own carelessness. 

And that’s why Jimin found himself parking on the side of the road, heaving you over the console, and hugging you until you stopped shaking and hugged him back. Small kisses placed on your cheeks and a few caresses of your back and you were more than okay. 

“Thank you Minnie.”

“____, you don’t need to lend a penny to those people.”

“Those people are my family, Minnie. What else am I supposed to do?”

“Let them deal with it. Your sister dug herself into shit, let her pull herself out. It’s time you stop giving them things when they haven't given you anything. ____, I can’t even remember them actually giving you a gift for Christmas. In fact, I clearly remember last year’s Christmas, and you had to give your mom, sister, and father gift cards all worth two hundred dollars because they stomped all over you. Baby, fuck them.”

Jimin’s words were hitting home and it made you worse. More tears fell as you nodded, agreeing with him. It was time to cut off contact. As much as you hated it. 

Taking a deep breath, you crawled back over to the passenger seat. 

“Ready to get moving again, or do you need a moment?”

“I’m ready Jimin.”

Meeting with Namjoon and Yoongi had been the plan for today, even though Jimin had wanted to stay home and love on you all day. However, neither of the older men were having it and basically forced him to meet them in Yoongi’s studio. 

“You need to stop being so clingy to ___. Otherwise, she’s going to get uncomfortable,” Yoongi said as he opened an unfinished song that the three of them were working on. 

“I disagree with that, Yoongi. ____ acts the same way. I wonder what Jimin has done to earn that type of love,” Namjoon jokes. 

Jimin rolled his eyes and waved the two of them off. Not his or your fault that you cared deeply for each other. 

“So funny. Anyway, Namjoon, you know a lot about different things. Can you help me with something? I need some advice,” Jimin asked. 

Namjoon turned swiftly away from his computer giving Jimin his attention. “Sure. If I can help, I will.”

“OK. ___ has been having some family trouble for a while. And yesterday was terrible. I told her to move on from her family, but now I’m wondering if that was shitty advice.”

Yoongi spoke up first. “No. If her family ain’t shit, they’re not worth having in her life. Mind telling us what they did.”

“Not really my place. But basically, and ___ has told me this, they’ve parentified her.”

“What’s that?” His older brothers asked at the same time. 

“It’s when a child gets the role of a parent to their siblings or parent. So they have to act as the caregiver at a young age. ___ has been in the parent role for a long time, and they can’t seem to let go of the fact that she’s no longer able to be controlled by them.”

“That sounds like a problem for them. ____ is definitely able to cut ties with them. I think you have her good advice.”

“I agree with Namjoon. Good advice. If she decides to cut ties, and they somehow figure out they were extreme assholes and apologize, it would be up to her to figure out whether or not she wants to repair the ties she cut,” Yoongi cosigned. 

Jimin nodded and made a mental note to tell you that. 

“Anymore questions? I want to get started on recording this song and put the finishing touches if we need any. 

“Nope.”

“_____!” Jimin called out into the apartment. 

“Minnie, I’m here in the kitchen. I got hungry.”

Jimin pouted as he held the bag of fried rice tightly. “But I already picked up food.” He strolled into the kitchen to see you already scarfing down some ramen. 

“I’m always down for fried rice. I’ll eat some after I finish this.”

Jimin pouted more, but poured a few spoonfuls of the rice into a bowl for him and a few for you.

“How’d the recording go?” You asked him taking a spoonful of your rice. 

Jimin groaned and swiped a hand through his hair, “An intern came in to help us add some beats, and then accidentally deleted everything we worked on. We tried to just take it out of the recycle bin, but apparently, things like that, just get straight up deleted. So now we have to start completely over from scratch.” “Aw, I’m sorry Minnie. How’d they even manage to do that?”

“Beats me, baby. How was your day?”

When you didn’t respond right away, he glanced up from his bowl and eyed you. You were suddenly pushing rice around your face, refusing to look at him. 

“____? What’s up?”

“Imayhavewentaheadandpaidformysister’sbullshitrentandthentoldallofthemtokissmyblackass.” You said in a rush. 

If Jimin hadn’t been paying close attention, he might’ve missed everything. 

“You paid?”

You nodded, meeting his eyes.  “And told them that if they wanted anything else from me, they would have to come find me. They humiliated me yesterday. I refuse to take anything else from them. So like I said, they can kiss my black ass.”

Jimin’s eyes were wide as he started clapping for you. Your face heated, but a smile was slowly spreading. 

“You should’ve seen the look on their face, Minnie. Priceless,” you laughed and then gasped as you remembered another detail. “And guess what else I did!”

“Middle finger?” “No, but I should have,” you said. “But I had printed out several companies that were hiring around my sister’s place, put it in an envelope, and chucked it at her face!”

“That’s not as badass as you think it is, love.”

“I will not hesitate to cut you off too, Park Jimin.”

[youmissedone]

Ada and Carlos’ relationship was messy, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world. Nothing Umbrella could take from her was ever worth keeping. They could never take Carlos’ love for her away, and even if they could, she would never let them do such a horrible thing.

At times, she didn’t understand what exactly he saw in her. She felt like an absolute mess who was only pretending to have everything together, and Carlos’ moral code set them apart. Ada didn’t believe herself to be a good person, and practically everyone would agree with her. Carlos was always her exception. Her feelings for him were risky because she would do what she had to if it meant keeping him.

“This feels familiar,” she said, half-teasing. “I seem to remember a certain man with far too much optimism patching me up in the sewers and refusing to abandon me.” Ada offered a small smile to him. “I trusted you then, and I trust you now. We wouldn’t have survived without each other, and… if you trust Jill, then…”

Ada started to walk down the steps with him. If she kept moving forward, she wouldn’t have time to worry about what was behind her; it was always there, anyway, and she’d risen up from the dead more times than she could count. Carlos was right. Damn the odds — they’d figure it out, one way or another.

“How did you two meet?” Ada asked, hoping to distract herself. She titled her head a bit. Their teasing did little to draw her attention away from the nerves within her. Jill was on their side, but she was a wanted criminal — public enemy number one, actually — and if her morals were anything like Carlos’, Ada didn’t know how this would play out. “I know you were with me for most of the night.”

She rarely talked about Raccoon City, but Carlos’ steady presence was one of the few things that got her through. They couldn’t have done it without each other, and although the night ended in a betrayal, they found their way back to each other. Their relationship had started that night, and although their missions interacted only three times, they met in their down time. She’d given Carlos a number of a burner phone, he’d contacted her, they’d gone out for dinner, rinse and repeat.

“I just want you.”

__________

Things with Ada hadn’t been easy. She’d pushed him away more times than he could count, but somehow that only made him want to pursue her more. Usually Carlos could take a hint when a woman didn’t want him, but... that was just it. Ada did want him. He could tell. Even as she told him to forget her, to leave her alone, to go do his own job and let her do hers... he knew she still had feelings for him. Maybe that’s what kept him going, wanting to help save her from herself. She deserved to have someone, to be loved, the same as anyone else did. And in Carlos’ opinion, she was well worth the rejections, the wait, and the fight.

Carlos always tried to do the right thing, to help people, and to stay on the right side of justice, but... he knew he’d done some pretty terrible things in his life. He’d done shady things for his employers, accepting a paycheck in the end and trying not to think too much about it. He’d killed people who no doubt had families no matter how much they might’ve deserved what was coming to them. So who was he to judge Ada? If she could look at him and still see a good person, then why couldn't he look at her and see the same?

“Sounds like a great guy to me,” he said with a smirk, trying to get her to smile. “And I remember a pessimistic woman who helped hold me up through everything, whether she realized it or not. I think you’re right. We needed each other then. We wouldn’t have made it without the other.” His gaze lingered long on her as they walked down the steps. “I need you still,” he said gently, the humor peeling back to reveal true emotion underneath.

He was smirking again to remember his and Jill’s first meeting, though. “I saved her ass from some... creature. Some kind of mutation human, I think, with... weird tentacles. Hard as hell to kill. It had her in its sights and wouldn’t let up.” He shrugged. “I intervened and got her outta there, fast as I could. I didn’t know who she was at the time, but... seemed the right thing to do. I wasn’t about to let that asshole throw her around. I hate bullies.”

He smiled more genuinely at her words. “Then let’s make this about us. Just us. Whether it is or it isn’t, real or ruse, it doesn’t matter. It’s real to us, so let’s do it for us,” he said. “If no one else is with us, if no one else will tell the truth and help us, then we at least have each other. I’ll be there for you, Ada... if you’ll be there for me too.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

[theresnothingcruviswithme]

This is just like a personal diary entry so feel free to ignore

Spent all day in family court yesterday helping my sister fight for my niece.

We literally had to push and fight on everything and still the best we came away with was having to hand over my 1.5 year old niece to her “father” and his parents for 3 hours l, twice a week

And they refuse to cooperate with my mother who is the only person aside from my sister who primarily cares for my niece.

So tomorrow our baby is literally getting handed over to people she doesn’t even know because she hasn’t seen them in 6 months to be left completely alone without any of her people that she knows and feels safe with. And she’s too little to understand why she’s just being left there

And somehow that is the best case scenario.

Because we were told this specific judge is known for being very generous with giving parent’s rights even with circumstances that prove they’re not trustworthy.

And that if we didn’t try to work out a settlement and took it to trial we’d be looking at a more 50/50 split with him getting to take her overnight.

So he gets this visitation but child protective services also found sufficient evidence to support a full order of protection and stay away order for both my sister and my niece.

So he is literally not allowed to contact my sister or try to see my niece at anytime except for the arranged visitation or he can be arrested.

I literally feel sick and like we’ve failed her that she has to be alone with them.

[fi-fitz-flynn]

Hiding In The Shadows {Flynn & Smee}

Flynn & Smee meet up and make a plan to move some stolen goods.

Set Mid to Late October.

Prior Reading: How could I refuse? {Self Para}

@apirateslifefor--smee

FLYNN

Flynn had all the contacts from Alex, except for a name. A meeting time, a place all in NTO since it was local to both of them. And Flynn never admitted to her that he was living in Swynlake just incase it came back to haunt him when it came to the RAS.

But it looked like Swynlake was trying to haunt him considering one Smee was turning up.

And yet he was wearing exactly what his contact was supposed to wear.

Waving him over, Flynn grinned pushing the earlier discussed coffee toward him. “Looks like Swynlake holds a lot of secrets.”

SMEE

Smee typically would have done a bit more digging, asked for a few more details before taking on a client who was so local. Especially someone he hadn’t worked with before. It was risky, after all, especially with what a small town Swynlake was. But it wouldn’t be long before Smee left this place behind. And once he did, it really wouldn’t matter if he left a few loose ends behind, would it?

Besides, Alex had assured him this fellow was talented. Reliable. Speedy. From an established family. There was really no reason to doubt him.

“Full of secrets? My boy, I thought you already knew that,” he chuckled, good-natured as ever despite the reasons for being here. “Tell me, how is the blender working out for you?”

FLYNN

Of course he already knew it but honestly he hadn’t expected fencing to be part of what people did in Swynlake. Where was the market? What was the market. Plus why let so many people know you.

The downfall for him was this very fact.

Smee knew Flynn wasn’t Nick. 

A risky venture.

But at least they were the same person.

“You know pretty good, tried out some new recipes, helped wake up my roommate at ungodly hours. The fun things you do with a blender.” Flynn smirked, all those other factors couldn’t matter. Not right now.

SMEE

“Excellent, I’m happy to hear it,” Smee replied with an amused twinkle in his eye. He was so used to these sorts of meetings that he didn’t see them as any different from a typical business coffee, complete with the typical pleasantries. However, he didn’t have all afternoon, so he supposed he ought to get down to business.

He took a sip of his tea. “Now, I’m not sure how much our colleague Alex has already told you, but we’re not looking for anything particularly elaborate. It’s quite a speedy turnaround time we’re looking for. So if you have to cut a few corners, that should be fine. Our appraiser understands that authenticity is not a top priority for our clients.”

FLYNN

Flynn shrugged, letting Smee talk, it was better to let him talk and figure out where he fit into this. It was better to give less information and be the one in a better position. 

“I’m known to be quite fast, either with finding contacts or getting things out of certain areas.” Flynn mused talking a sip of his drink. “You were looking to get a certain group for an auction correct? Mixed with legitimate items?”

SMEE

“Essentially, yes. Don’t worry too much about the details. You’ll be paid either way,” Smee explained. He hoped Rider wouldn’t have too many more questions. That was the main thing that caused Smee to sever ties with a contact: inquisitiveness. Alex had assured him this lad was discreet, and he hoped she was correct about that.

He took a neat sheet of stationery out of his briefcase, without a single wrinkle or curl, and slid it across the table. “You’ll find full instructions for each piece here. Some of them are more exact than others. But feel free to be creative with it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy that.” He gave the lad a smile.

FLYNN

That was his job wasn’t it? To not worry about the bigger picture. It was because he worried about the bigger picture that he got into this situation. Sometimes all you needed to know was when and where.

“I do like to be creative.” Flynn accepted the paper not turning it over yet. He didn’t need the prying eyes on it. “You have a secure line if I have any information for you?”

SMEE

“Yes, naturally. I assumed Alex would have given it to you, but that’s alright if not.” He produced a business card from his briefcase, one that he only gave to certain trusted individuals. Unlike a normal business card, it didn’t list his name or any personally identifying information— just a phone number, a fax number, and a PO box. “Here it is. Phone is probably easiest, but feel free to write me any time as well.”

FLYNN

Write him? Now Flynn didn’t care for texting all day every day but he wasn’t the type to write people either.

Oh well.

This was the problem dealing with old people.

“Sounds good. I’ll have more information for you soon.”

[ollieinoue]

ironlvngs​:

     link’s facial expressions darkened, going from a playful tone in his body language to a more uncomfortable one. he’d always been uncomfortable, whenever anyone showed a shred of sympathy around him — whenever they extended a supportive hand towards him. link always felt like it was an odd feeling for him, as if he didn’t really deserve it. there they were, talking about blackmailing his father and using his ex girlfriend and ollie was more worried about link feeling alone. it didn’t make sense to him, but ollie was always like that. that’s why link liked him so much — he felt like he could be some version of his actual self around him without feeling like he was being judged. 

    he sank a little bit lower, unable to make eye contact with one of the few people on campus he could actually say he trusted — even then, his wall was even halfway up. “ i don’t know, ollie. ” he responds, fiddling with the zip of his jacket. he’s never talked about his dad to ollie before — as far as he knew, just like everyone else who heard the same lie, link had no idea who his father was. but things with ollie and link have been really great, so maybe it was about that time for link to stop being so terrified of telling him things. “ my dad… he abandoned his kids, he hit my mom, he loved his stash more than anything else — ” it was true that link couldn’t stand his own mother. or maybe it was just that he couldn’t stand how little she seemed to care. whatever it was, there was still room in his heart to be angry for her, for what happened before he was around. “ so i tracked him down a couple of years ago. he was clean, married with a kid, and with a fancy new office job. ” link says it with a scoff, as if they couldn’t believe it themselves. “ why the hell did he get to live a good life when he left us to deal with the mess he left behind ? so yeah, i threatened him — told him i’d tell his family all about his past, ruin his career and life. told him that he owed us some money in all the envelopes of childcare that we never got. ” except he never told his mother. why should they when she had left them to their own devices even as a child ? there was so much anger and resentment carried in link for all of their ‘family’ members, the people that they were meant to rely on for support. “ — fuck him, he got what he deserved. ” link suddenly sat up, refusing to look at ollie, only looking straight ahead. “ i’m not going to let myself get punished for it. ” this was probably the most vulnerable position link has let himself be in in a very long time. but there was a newfound softness in him for ollie lately, more than before, that he couldn’t help but feel a little safer. it may just be an illusion until the next time they fall apart, but for now, it felt safe. 

-

Ollie listened as Link described what happened. His expression very carefully schooled into one of neutrality because he thought Link might get a bit flighty at the signs of disgust that Ollie was actually feeling about learning all of this. He shook his head a few times, eyebrows furrowing when Link came to his conclusion. "Ugh," was the very eloquent way he put his feelings, "so like..." Ollie gave a sigh pressing his hand to the bridge of his nose and shaking his head more. "You know what's so fucking crazy? And I'm definitely not like here saying you should tell everyone, or that you even should have to. But if people knew everybody would be on your side. And G literally is taking one tiny part of that, pulling it out of context, and making you the bad guy?" Obviously he didn't need to say this to Link, he'd probably thought that himself already. "That's so fucked up. Like... I fucking hate them so much." Ollie had already been a very big anti-G person since the time capsule leak at least. But damn.

The situation really highlighted a lot of the differences between Ollie and Link, however. He never would have been in this situation because he lacked the patience. Link's way was probably smarter but Ollie would have just shown up on the family's doorstep one day when that man was out, and told his new family everything while endearing himself to them so much that they would end up having no choice but to want him around for holidays. Oh and he's just so smart maybe he should tutor their child too. Then of course he'd turn them all against their father/husband and everyone would like Ollie more. That's how Ollie would have gone about it. Mostly he'd just rat the man out immediately, but Link had always been more calculating than Ollie. Ollie favored instant gratification, Link had always been better at edging. "I don't know what I can do to help," he finally said, reaching out and taking Link's hand in both of his, pressing it against his lips pouting behind it. "Anya and I are attempting to set up something that might net us more information but ... I really don't know. You know? Who is to say if we find something it'll be accurate, and not some new target G wants to fuck with, like with Milo."

[demogordon]

Catnap

Pairing: Steve Harrington/GN Reader

Wordcount: 1.3k

Summary: reader’s cat is the devil. Steve is sure of it. and it’s not because he’s jealous or anything.

Category: Fluff

Warnings: language, very brief allusion to sexual activity, implied AFAB!Reader

----

It’s the biggest, ugliest mangy lump of fur that Steve has ever seen in his entire life. Your cat looks almost like a person except it has squinty and suspicious yellow eyes and crusty matted fur that it won’t let you brush. It’s mean too, attacks Steve’s ankles after he comes home after long shifts at Family Video, biting and scratching and making so much goddamn noise. Steve gives it a treat so it will leave him alone and he can wait for you to get home. It howls in the middle of the night at the door of your shared bedroom. It follows him into the bathroom and stares at him while he uses the toilet. It lays its fluffy belly across his nose and mouth when he tries to sleep. And worst of all, it has a monopoly over you. 

You love that ugly thing, with its huge paws, tattered ears, and missing whiskers. You rescued it off the street a year and a half or so ago, a little bit before Steve came into the picture and the stupid cat loves you so much. It follows you everywhere you go, right on your heels and wrapping itself in knots around your legs. When you sit next to Steve on the couch and tuck up under his arm, the cat finds its way there in a matter of minutes, worming in to take over your lap and to bite at Steve’s fingers. When he’s spooning you in the middle of the night, it chews on Steve’s ear. It wails when he kisses you and pulls you in tight. You’ll shut it out sometimes when you know Steve wants a nice and uninterrupted intimate moment with you but most of the time, the cat is there. Watching. 

Steve hadn’t really thought about the cat when he’d asked you to move with him and Robin. They’d been toying with the idea of moving in together for almost a year when Robin graduated. Over the course of the next month, they spent most of their time at Family Video actively ignoring customers and planning out the logistics of moving and renting. One afternoon in the middle of June, Robin paused in the middle of shelving movies. 

“Hey, Harrington!” 

“What?” Steve asked, not looking up from his pile of returns he was sorting through.

Back to the Future. Pretty in Pink. Halloween II. Top Gun. Footloose. Clue. Risky Business.  He was hoping to find something interesting to bring over to yours and have a nice movie night in but that plan was unraveling at the seams.

“I think you should ask your gal pal to move in with us.” 

“Hm? Why?” 

“Because I also enjoy their company. I don’t need to tell you the main benefit, right? Extended unsupervised couple time.” She’d winked at him hard with a huge fake openmouthed grin. Steve threw a VHS tape at her. It didn’t even come close to hitting her, landing with a clatter on the floor between them.

He still asked you, though, nervously shuffling his feet around and avoiding eye contact as he stumbled through the question. You’d waited patiently and then immediately accepted, your smile eating your face whole. The offer of living with your two best friends, one of whom you were dating, was one you just couldn’t refuse. 

In all honesty, Steve hadn’t disliked the cat until he had to live with it. He makes sure you can’t tell though because he knows it would devastate you. He puts up with everything, the bites and the screeching and the scratches and the cold eyed stare because the cat makes you happy. Steve wants to like the cat. He really does. But it’s a mean animal and it hates him and makes its distaste extremely known. 

It’s a Friday night. You’ll already be home when Steve and Robin get there and he’s practically shaking with nervous excitement at the prospect of seeing you. Robin casually locks the Family Video storefront as if she enjoys prolonging his torture, double checking and then triple checking the lock. Steve scowls at her, trying to light her on fire with his mind. She casts him a withering look over her shoulder. 

“Deep breaths, Romeo. They live with us. You’ll be okay.” She rolls her eyes and thumps him on the back as she walks around him to the passenger side of his car. He huffs indignantly before sliding into his car, making sure to shut his door extra hard. Robin rolls her eyes before reaching for the stereo. Steve lets her choose their music. He always does. 

They walk into the apartment and the lights are down low. The TV plays something mindless at a low volume. You’re curled into a sleepy puddle on the couch, making soft breathy sounds. And there it is, the cat sitting like a sphinx, flat on its tummy, huge front legs extended straight, in the dip between your hips and your waist, eyes locked on Steve, owlish and unblinking. His immediate response is to sulk. He’s been looking forward to cuddling with you all day but your stupid goddamn cat is staking claim to you and your attention yet again. He furrows his eyebrows and then he hears Robin explode with peals of laughter. 

She hunches over, hands on her knees, tears of mirth threatening to spill over her lash line. “Oh, Stevie. Are you seriously jealous of a cat?” Steve suddenly feels like an idiot. It’s an animal and it’s important to you, and he casts his gaze to the floor in sudden searing red hot shame. 

“Have you ever even petted him?” Robin asks, accusation in her voice. Steve has never really interacted with cats. His family had a crusty little Pomeranian growing up that bit the fuck out of him when he tried to pet it so it had never even occurred to him to reach out and stroke through your cat’s clumpy fur. Robin jerks her head at the cat and Steve tiptoes over, trying not to wake you when you look so peaceful. He extends his hand and the cat glowers at him suspiciously, but cranes its neck and touches its damp nose to his hand. Before Steve loses his nerve, he brushes his fingers over the side of its face and its scarred ear. 

Immediately, a loud, crunchy sound like a distant motorcycle in dire need of a mechanic begins, emerging from the cat’s chest. It rubs its face against the side of Steve’s hand and Steve pets it again. He has a sudden guilty realization that the cat probably never hated him, he just didn’t know how to give it the attention it wanted. It pokes a pink tongue out from between its lips and runs it along Steve’s skin. He yelps at the unexpected scratchy texture, which wakes you up. Robin retreats to her room, still in hysterics. 

“Steve?” You mumble, sitting up, the cat adjusting and crawling into your lap. “What’s up, baby?” 

Steve climbs onto the couch next to you and cups your face in his hands before pulling you in for a deep but chaste kiss. “Nothing, just got home. Are you sleepy?” You stretch a little bit before leaning against his shoulder. 

“Always.” The cat makes a soft sound before getting up and stepping slowly off of your lap and onto Steve’s. It digs its claws into the meat of his thighs to stabilize itself and Steve fights not to wince. You side eye the pair of them but don’t say anything, like you’re worried they’ll stop as soon as you acknowledge it. “You wanna do something? I think we still have a couple movies.” 

You fall asleep against his shoulder four minutes and eight seconds into the movie. Steve pets the cat lying in his lap and it rumbles purrs out in reply. 

“You’re really not so bad, are you?” Steve tells it. It slow blinks in response.